Posts Tagged ‘Mychal Kendricks’

All eyes on Mark Sanchez as Philadelphia Eagles face Carolina Panthers

Monday, November 10th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

MS

As with any game, there are many important aspects of the Philadelphia Eagles on which to focus this Monday night. But who are we kidding?: Tonight’s game against the Carolina Panthers is all about Mark Sanchez.

Every step he takes, every move he makes, we’ll be watching him. Every throw. Every decision. Can Sanchez ably lead the Birds for the six to eight weeks that Nick Foles is expected to be out with a broken collarbone? If so, is he the quarterback on which we should hitch our trailers for an even longer stretch of time? If Sanchez can avoid the turnovers that became an all-too prevalent part of Foles’ performance this season and turn in a series of consistent performances, the answer could be yes. But those are big “ifs”. Sanchez has his own history of turning the ball over to overcome. Since entering the league in 2009, the former USC quarterback has thrown for more interceptions (71) than touchdowns (70) in his career.

Evan Mathis’will return to the o-line just as Todd Herremans exits for the season due to torn biceps. The Eagles have finally found some footing with their running game and would do well to take advantage of the 131.9 yards the Panthers have allowed on the ground each game. With a healthy Chris Polk added to the already powerful mix of LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles, the Birds could have a dynamic game on the ground tonight. The run needs to be a prevalent part of tonight’s game to allow Sanchez time to adjust to the role of signal caller for Philadelphia.

There is another important story to watch as the Eagles take the field at the Linc tonight and for the remainder of the season. How will Philadelphia fill in for the loss of DeMeco Ryans? Defensive coordinator Bill Davis plans for Casey Matthews and Emmanuel Acho to take over Ryans’ middle linebacker responsibility as far as making calls. On the field, the defense will use a combination of Acho, Matthews, and Mychal Kendricks to make up for the loss of Ryans. It’s a similar solution as to when Kendricks was sidelined for several weeks, Davis said last week.

“[Linebackers] Coach Rick Minter does a great job of teaching the concepts of both so we can move multiple guys to the MIKE or the WIL depending on what we need”, Davis said. “Whether we’re in dime or nickel or anything like that. Right now it’s the same rotation as when Mychal [Kendricks] was down. It’ll be [Emmanuel] Acho and Casey [Matthews] handling first and second down duties at the DeMeco spot instead of the Mychal spot. They’re cross-trained and they’ll be fine.”

While the Panthers defense features Luke Kuechly, last year’s Defensive Player of the Year at MLB, it is struggling this season. They have already given up 236 points this season. They gave up only 241 in all of 2013. They are missing Pro Bowl DE Greg Hardy. Their struggles will be a nice complement to an Eagles team adjusting to key losses on both sides of the ball.

Cam Newton and the Panthers’ offense aren’t doing well on any front this year, putting up just 19.7 points per game, 25th in the league. By comparison, the Eagles average 29.2 points per game (5th in the NFL). Newton is completing just 57% of his passes, and Carolina’s receiving corps’ top producers are Greg Olsen, Kelvin Benjamin and former Eagle Jason Avant. Love Avant as we do, that is hardly a stellar lineup. The Panthers are also putting together just 94.7 rushing yards per game, which leaves them with no clear answers for getting points on the board.

A Panthers team with significant issues facing an Eagles team adjusting to key losses on both sides of the ball may make for a more competitive Monday night matchup than we’d like to see. But the Eagles will still prevail.

Prediction: Eagles 24, Panthers 14

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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Philadelphia Eagles D comes up big in win over Steelers

Friday, August 22nd, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

LeSean McCoy doing his thing against Pittsburgh on Thursday night (Photo: Drew Hallowell, Philadelphia Eagles)

LeSean McCoy doing his thing against Pittsburgh on Thursday night
(Photo: Drew Hallowell, Philadelphia Eagles)

It was only the first preseason win for the Philadelphia Eagles after three games, but it came right on time with the Birds’ 31-21 defeat over the Pittsburgh Steelers. During their preseason home opener on Thursday night, the starters on both sides of the ball put in a strong showing to ease lingering concerns as the regular season looms near.

The defense had the most to prove this game, and they did just that by shutting out the Steelers in the first half. At halftime, the Birds were up 17-0, and Philadelphia held on to an impressive 31-7 lead late into the fourth quarter. Notably, Pittsburgh kept their starters in the game until the third quarter but still couldn’t make much happen against the Eagles D. That’s what you like in the so-called dress rehearsal prior to the start of the season.

Defensive highlights included an interception by corner Nolan Carroll in the first half, and linebacker Mychal Kendricks had a standout performance with 4 tackles and a quarterback pressure. Safety Malcolm Jenkins eased some concern about the secondary by batting away a ball intended for Pittsburgh wideout Antonio Brown.

Both sides of the ball were impressive, with the offense also putting in a strong showing. Nick Foles threw 19/29 for 179 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception, Mark Sanchez was 7 of 9 for 85 yards, and Jeremy Maclin had 6 receptions and 43 yards. And after a rocky start, the offensive line showed just how good they can be when firing on all cylinders and working together on Thursday night.

There were injury scares to both LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin, but they were thankfully just that–scares. Both returned to the field and quickly were back in action.

With good, there is always bad: Kicker Alex Henery missed a *31-yard* field goal attempt, so yeah…there is still a major problem on that front. One that can’t be left unanswered.

Next up: Players on the cusp will fight for their jobs next week against the Jets.

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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Chip Kelly has early praise for LB Mychal Kendricks, QB Matt Barkley in 3rd week of OTAs

Wednesday, May 29th, 2013

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

Eagles at work.
(Image via the Philadelphia Eagles’ Facebook page)

The third straight week of Eagles OTAs took place outside in Monday’s rain, and head coach Chip Kelly wasn’t apologetic.

Perhaps it’s not ideal for reporters, he joked, but this is real life.  Football is played outside and his players must be prepared to play in any kind of weather.

It’s more of Kelly’s desire to simulate real game experiences for his team.

Kelly unveiled another practice technique new to the NovaCare yesterday — one that a journalist described as using “fly swatters”.  Objects that meet that physical description were taped to the shoulders of assistants, a technique the coach used at Oregon.  Okay, but what on Earth for?

“It simulates a pass rush.  So when you’re in seven on seven, obviously, you’ve got to throw through the lane.  We made those at Oregon, and it gives us an opportunity.  It’s the exact height of a 6’4″ defensive lineman with his hands up.  You can’t throw over everybody, so you have to throw through throwing lanes. It’s the best way we can simulate that.”

Ahh.  Rather clever, that.

While continually stating that it’s too early to read anything into what transpires in practices, Kelly did take the opportunity to praise certain players when asked about them.  For instance, he is clearly high on second-year linebacker Mychal Kendricks’ abilities.

“I think Mychal’s an athletic, real physical linebacker, but I think his biggest attribute is his athleticism.  He’s a three‑down linebacker, he doesn’t have to come off the field on third down.  He excels in pass coverage, but he’s physical enough to play on first and second down.  He’s one of the more athletic linebackers in this league, so really excited about his future and what he can do.  He can do everything we’ve asked him to do.”

As has been the case previously, Kelly said it’s too early to read too much into which players are playing with the first team.  He stated that he and his coaching staff were just “rolling guys through” the different practice teams to see how they perform.

Mike Vick was back to taking reps with the first team after Nick Foles had an opportunity to do so last week, but it was Matt Barkley who garnered much of Kelly’s praise at Monday’s press conference.

“Matt’s done a great job.  He’s a real student of the game.  Had a great background to begin with.  Started every game in high school and in college, so his experience that he came in here with.  I don’t know if anybody’s done that, having that much experience coming in as a rookie.  Real student of the game, does a great job of grasping concepts and understanding what we’re trying to do and not just what the receivers are running for routes.  I think that’s kind of sometimes with the rookie, what routes are they running, and I’m going to throw the ball.  Matt does a great job understanding the overall concept that’s being run and then being able to kind of change…It’s not just he’s so much more gifted than anybody else.  It’s really how hard he works at the game.  Lot of fun to be around and lot of fun to coach. “

When asked specifically about Danny Watkins, Kelly revealed his approach to reviewing every player on this Philadelphia squad.

“No, I have no expectations of anybody.  When I got here on January 16th, it didn’t matter to me if you were a first round pick or an undrafted free agent.  It’s about putting the best team on the field.  Where they got picked in the past or those things, it was a clean slate with us coming in.”

No player can rely on his past successes or failures on this team.  It’s about how they perform now as they acclimate to a new system.

Other notes from Monday:

-LT Jason Peters was absent from practice for undisclosed reasons but Kelly stated that it was not injury related.

-Safety Kenny Phillips was also absent from Monday’s practice but was at the Complex in the training room.

-Kelly revealed that he’s not one to talk much about injuries, but said what has already been disclosed about TE James Casey: He should be ready for training camp this summer after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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No Love Lost from the Philadelphia Eagles Linebackers Over the Departure of the Wide-9

Wednesday, December 12th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

It was no illusion.  The Philadelphia Eagles defense played better than they had in weeks in Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  It couldn’t have all been because the death knell had been blown to the Wide 9 with the firing of Jim Washburn, could it?

Not all, but it certainly didn’t hurt.  The linebackers  felt that new d-line coach Tommy Brasher’s more traditional approach made their work on the field easier.  Some were open in speaking about it to Tim McManus at Birds 24/7 on Tuesday.

Said Jamar Chaney,

“It’s better for the linebackers.  If you ask any linebacker what scheme or how they would want to do it, they would want the linemen to hold up the blocks and they go make the plays.”

With the change, the d-line is keeping offensive lineman busy for longer periods of time, which frees up the linebackers to make plays.  Things may have gotten harder for the defensive lineman but their efforts have helped their linebacker brethren.

“There is no read [before].  With this right now, they read the blocks.  It’s probably harder for the d-line but it’s easier for the linebackers.  It’s harder for them because they have been playing the Wide-9 and they have to make the adjustment, but it’s probably easier for the linebackers because everything will get more clear.  Not saying that linemen aren’t going to get up on us, but they probably aren’t going to get up on us as fast.  It just clears out everything.”

The elimination of the controversial formation wasn’t the only change that seemed to have an impact on Sunday.  With Mychal Kendricks’ switch to the WILL linebacker position, which he played in college, he was freed up to more effectively utilize his speed to make plays.  And there was marked improvement with the secondary.  Colt Anderson did a good job replacing the injured Kurt Coleman at safety and noted that no Wide 9 meant that safeties felt some of the same relief as the linebackers in defending pass plays.  As he told McManus, in those situations they experienced “a little less stress.”

While seeing any improvement on the Eagles defense was long overdue, seeing the near-immediate positive impact of Washburn’s firing makes you wonder what could have been if the move had happened when there was some hope of saving the season.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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Falcons – Eagles Preview: Defeating the Undefeated

Sunday, October 28th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

Key to victory: Give Shady the ball.
(Image via Philly Sports Central)

The Atlanta Falcons look pretty beatable for an undefeated team.

Their six wins have come against nary a winning team, .500 being the best record of an opponent they’ve faced this season.  A 30-28 win in Week 4 against the Panthers or a 23-20 victory in Week 6 over the Raiders can’t exactly be described as impressive or dominating.  Yes, the Falcons have come out with wins in every game but are they a commanding team?  That is what the Falcons seek to prove on Sunday.  The Philadelphia Eagles plan to show that the mighty can and will fall, particularly when the Falcons travel to the Linc and have failed to secure a victory in four previous trips to Philadelphia’s stadium.

Sunday’s contest promises to be a great game, with the stakes high for both birds facing each other on the field.  The Philadelphia Eagles are fighting for their very future.  With a coordinator already gone, each and every player and coach has been put on notice.  The time to talk a good game is over.  It’s time to go play it.  But Philadelphia never does things the easy way, proving themselves at the very moment their backs are against the wall.

Well, the wall has appeared and it can’t be much higher.

Quarterback Matt Ryan has been stellar this season with 14 touchdowns and 6 interceptions with a passer rating of 98.8.  But Ryan threw 3 interceptions in Atlanta’s game against Oakland making ball security a concern for quarterbacks of both teams this week.

The Eagles D is tasked with trying to neutralize Ryan and his tremendous offensive weapons.  Roddy White, Julio Jones and Tony Gonzalez are all dangerous players and Ryan spreads out his throws successfully to all three.  This means that Philadelphia’s defense must bring pressure to Ryan and Atlanta’s pass-heavy offense.  Gonzalez gave Philadelphia fits in last year’s meeting and this time will be covered by Mychal Kendricks and Nate Allen.  We know that Kendricks is good but the rookie will face an incredible challenge in trying to contain Gonzalez.  With a new DC, Philadelphia can inject an element of surprise to Ryan and the Falcons with the addition of some blitzing plays to keep the pressure coming.

The same concerns that existed prior to the bye for the Eagles offense are still there, first among them the turnover issue.  Andy Reid and Mike Vick were not able to find an effective solution in their bag of tricks before the break but their futures depend on ending the giveaways.  The shaky offensive line was dealt another blow with rookie Dennis Kelly likely getting his first NFL start on Sunday to replace RG Danny Watkins, who is suffering from left ankle issue.  King Dunlap is back as the starting left tackle, which should provide some solace for this line as Demetress Bell has continued to underwhelm with pass protection.  The o-line has been ravaged by injury this season but quite simply has to make it work this game and for the rest of the year.

Atlanta’s secondary thrives on takeaways and former Eagle Asante Samuel would just love to get a pick this game to prove to his old team that he is not damaged goods and they made a mistake in trading him.  Samuel has one 76-yard interception return for a touchdown this season and the Falcons have gotten a total of 17 takeaways.  Safety Thomas DeCoud has four interceptions alone, tied for the lead in the NFL.

Where can the Eagles get an edge against an aggressive Falcons defense?  By getting the running game going and sticking with it.  LeSean McCoy has struggled in the two weeks prior to the bye but Atlanta’s defense against the run is 28th– worst in the league, allowing an average 143.8 yards per game on the ground and allowing 5.2 YPC.  When Shady is your running back and you’re going against a team with such poor run defense, you run the ball.  Period. Philadelphia found success when it dialed up more rushing than passing attempts as it did in its victories against the Ravens and Giants.  They have the talent to do it and the more Vick is asked to throw the more potential for problems.

The intrigue of the Mike Vick-as-former-Falcons quarterback has faded but there is plenty to make this game a must-see matchup as well as a must-win contest for the Eagles.  Hurricane Sandy will likely make the weather a mess, not a comforting fact given concerns about ball security.  Todd Bowles makes his debut as the team’s DC and needs to prove that he can dial up the right plays at the right time for the Eagles defense.  The implications of 3-4 versus a 4-3 record are entirely different for Philadelphia and this team cannot afford to dip below .500.  There is no more time for excuses.  And if it’s another messy outing for Vick, things will get even more dramatic for Philadelphia.

Who has the edge in Sunday’s game?  I’d say it’s the team who has the most at stake.  In this case, it is hands-down the Philadelphia Eagles.  Expect them to come out swinging, seeking to prove to their detractors and to themselves that they can hand Atlanta their first loss this season.  It doesn’t hurt that the Falcons are 0-4 at the Linc, either.  Prediction: Eagles 27 Falcons 21

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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NFL Draft: Top 5 Inside Linebacker Prospects

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

By Brandon Pemberton

Follow me on Twitter @BrandonOnSports

Now its time for my list of top inside linebackers.  We have different players who fit into different schemes and some who can play anywhere.  This group isn’t a deep group at all to be honest, but here is my top 5 rated guys and an additional 5 to look out for as well.

1. Luke Kuechly 6-3 242lbs Boston College

Strengths: A sure tackler during his 3 years at BC, has good instincts and deciphers the play quickly, which makes up for some of his physical deficiencies.  Is very good in zone pass coverage, I can see him fitting perfectly in a Tampa 2 scheme or maybe as a weakside ILB in the 3-4.

Weaknesses: Has trouble taking on and defeating blocks at the point of attack.  He would rather slip the blocks instead.  While he’s made plenty of tackles at BC, he hasn’t made many big plays (forced fumbles, big hits, plays behind the line of scrimmage). 

Grade: Mid first round

2. Dont’a Hightower 6-2 265lbs Alabama

Strengths: Plays with a controlled violence that I love.  Exceptional ability to diagnose the play and hits it like man possessed.  Played in a 3-4 at Alabama and was coached by one of the greatest defensive minds in football, Nick Saban.  He’s ready to come in a start from day one.  He spent time on 3rd downs rushing the passer as well, but I see him more as a MLB in a 4-3 and a perfect fit as an ILB on the strong side of  a 3-4. 

Weaknesses: Lacks top level speed, can be exposed in pass coverage man to man by scat backs and athletic tight ends.  I’m not sure if he’s a three down player at ILB, teams may use him to rush the passer a little bit.

Grade: Late first round

3. Mychal Kendricks 5-11 240lbs Cal

Strengths: Is at his best in open space, and on third downs in pass coverage.  He has good speed and range, when blockers are kept off of him, he will make plays sideline to sideline. 

Weaknesses: Gets swallowed up in traffic and doesn’t take on and defeat blocks well.  To be effective, he will need to be in a system in which the DT’s keep him clean.  Can get caught out of position when teams run counter plays.

Grade: 3rd round

4. Vontaze Burfict 6-1 248lbs Arizona St.

Strengths: Phsically imposing player.  I know he ran slow at the combine, but if you watch the game tape, he plays much faster on the field.  When his head is on straight, he displays the natural instincts and ability to see the play and hit it like a bat out of hell.  Has good sideline to sideline range and is a knockout artist, can force fumbles and make plays behind the backfield.

Weaknesses: He has a bad temper and allows it to get the best of him.  Plays with no discipline too often and has been pulled off of the field for it.  Physically and talent wise, he’s the best ILB in the draft, but he’s a head case and showed up out of shape at the combine and has dropped greatly.

Grade: Late 3rd to early 4th round

5. Audie Cole 6-4 248lbs N.C. State

Strengths: A three year starter with good production at the middle linebacker position.  Has good play recognition and instincts which has him around the ball at all times.  A fit as a ILB in a 3-4 and will be a good special teams player as well.

Weaknesses: Below average speed and explosiveness.  Not a powerful tackler for a man his size.  Gets exposed in open space against RB’s and TE’s after the catch.

Grade: 5th round

Next 5: Bobby Wagner 6-0 241lbs Utah St., James-Micheal Johnson 6-1 241lbs Nevada, Emmanuel Acho 6-2 238lbs Texas, Ryan Baker 5-11 232lbs LSU,  Najee Goode 6-0 244lbs

Brandon Pemberton of “Brandon On Sports” & “Sports Talk Radio”, for War Room Sports

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