00:00Big Z, you tell me, man, two games into the season so far,
00:03how do you think the Birds have been playing so far
00:05against the Titans and the Commanders?
00:07Well, I think the quarterback's been excellent so far, Dan.
00:10Obviously, a lot of questions coming into the season with this offense.
00:14New offensive coordinator.
00:16Obviously, they fell flat last year.
00:18I think they've showed some signs, Sills.
00:20But at the same time, they've also shown a lot of chinks in the armor
00:24and places where they could get beat.
00:25So a lot to clean up.
00:26But so far, a good start for Jalen Hurts leading this new offense.
00:30How much of an influence do you think Mannion's had on Hurts' play so far
00:35in the first eight quarters of the season?
00:38Well, I think it's been significant.
00:39I think you're seeing a lot more Jalen throwing the ball over the middle of the field.
00:42He looks more comfortable and calm.
00:44I think something that also sticks out here is a lot of discussion was about
00:48how much they were going to actually change Jalen.
00:50Like, can you turn him into a quarterback that he's not
00:53or hasn't been like a Brock Purdy style, if you will?
00:56And they haven't done that.
00:57They've allowed Jalen to sit in shotgun.
00:59There is more under center, more play action.
01:01But they've totally still embraced his skill set.
01:03But you do see the things where they're throwing the football over the middle of the field.
01:07The ball's coming out on time.
01:09I think Sean has definitely helped Jalen Hurts with some of those parts of the game,
01:12especially early in the year here.
01:14You know, some of the conversations he has been on this offensive line
01:17heading into this Bears game.
01:19And last year, obviously, they went for 281 on the ground.
01:23If you're going to be successful in this game tonight,
01:26you've got to run the football.
01:27The running game of the Eagles, which has been an essential part of this football team
01:30for the last decade plus, where is it right now heading into tonight?
01:35It's not good.
01:36It's not good.
01:36The offensive line in front of them is not doing good.
01:39Saquon has not thrived when the offensive line has not been great.
01:44And it's been, obviously, the biggest part of the way the Eagles have won games,
01:48the winningest team in football the last four years.
01:50And a lot of it has come with the run game.
01:52And that's basically non-existent through the first two weeks.
01:55Last week, they averaged 2.5 yards a carry.
01:58Just not good performance in the run game.
02:00And to be frank, I don't see it getting better unless you have drastic improvement
02:04on the interior of that offensive line, where you lost Landon Dickerson,
02:08who's been sent to IR.
02:09Cam Juergens, with the exception of that first year he started as a center,
02:12has really not looked good.
02:14And even Tyler Steen, who we thought was going to take a big step forward this year,
02:17hasn't quite taken that step forward.
02:19So when that interior of that O-line still can't block, you know how it is.
02:22You played the game.
02:23It's tough to run the football.
02:24And they're going to have to get a lot better for Saquon to get going.
02:27No question about it.
02:28You end up losing Dallas Goddard.
02:31You tell me, Xander, what do you think the impact of Zach Ertz will be tonight?
02:36Now, it's been reported that, you know, he's still kind of favoring the injured knee a little bit
02:41going into tonight's game.
02:42You think they use him a lot tonight, or do you think he'll be on a pitch count?
02:46I think he'll be on a pitch count.
02:48But I think by default, he's going to have to play in the game.
02:50I mean, they don't have pass catchers at tight end.
02:54And especially in this new offense, where they're going to rely on him,
02:56I think everybody saw how important Dallas Goddard was in those first couple weeks for the Eagles.
03:01Now you lose Dallas Goddard, and you have Johnny Munn.
03:04And no disrespect to Johnny Munn.
03:05He's not a pass-catching tight end.
03:07He thrives in the blocking game.
03:09So you have that aspect, and now you've added Zach Ertz in the absence of Dallas Goddard,
03:15who is a pass catcher, who's not a blocker.
03:16So to me, he's going to be the guy.
03:18I would say Johnny Munn, I think, will get more snaps tonight.
03:22But I think Zach Ertz will get more targets, if you will, in the passing game,
03:27because that's going to have to be your guy.
03:29And there is some concern here.
03:30He's 35.
03:32He had no training camp and no offseason.
03:34He joins the team mid-September, and he's coming off an ACL tear just over nine months ago.
03:39That's a tough feat to overcome for a 35-, 36-year-old player.
Comments