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Christian McCaffrey, of all people, created a stir during his appearance on the ManningCast version of Monday Night Football when he correctly predicted a third down-play by the Eagles.
McCaffrey, the standout veteran running back with the San Francisco 49ers, told Peyton and Eli Manning that “Jalen Hurts is running a QB draw to the left, the tight end is going to pull.”
Hurts got a couple yards running up the middle after tight end Jack Stoll shifted to the left.
The video not only blew up “X” but left the Eagles looking very predictable. At his video conference Wednesday, head coach Nick Sirianni denied that defenses were catching up to what the Eagles do.
“From that one play, no,” Sirianni said. “Good eye by Christian McCaffrey to see that and point that out. We have never run that play from that formation. Christian McCaffrey has a very high football IQ to be able to see that. That doesn’t mean, either, that other guys on the defense don’t. That play was designed to put us in fourth and short or get the first down.”
Sirianni also said good teams have plays they call “staples,” and that the draw was among them.
“That’s pretty common of good offenses, that they’re going to have staples that they lean on,” Sirianni said. “When things maybe aren’t going right and they want to get out of a rut, or maybe when everything is on the line, there are different times to use your staples.”
Sirianni might want to actually show the McCaffrey clip to Hurts because had the quarterback followed Stoll, he might have scored.
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The Eagles could be without the services of left guard Landon Dickerson, who the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported, underwent surgery on a thumb Wednesday.
Dickerson could miss some time, and his streak of 35 straight starts, including the playoffs, is in jeopardy.
Additionally, the Eagles will open the practice window Thursday for nickel back Avonte Maddox, sidelined since Week 2 with a pectoral injury.
Defensive end Nolan Smith is nursing a shoulder injury.
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Hurts’ pick the other night trying to get the ball to Quez Watkins should have been nullified by an interference penalty on Julian Love, who grabbed his jersey in the end zone.
Instead, Love wound up with two interceptions on the night and NFC defensive player of the week honors. And Sirianni wound up saying he still has faith in Watkins.
“Understand this with Quez – his speed changes the game,” Sirianni said Wednesday. “And not just because it’s going to him. It’s going to open the rest of the field. I still have confidence in Quez. But sometimes he’s in there to clear the field and show his speed because his speed is legit-legit. He has to be accounted for each play with his speed.”
Sirianni reserves the right to change Watkins’ role, however, as game plans change.
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Sirianni wouldn’t say if defensive coordinator Sean Desai has a pathway back to calling the defensive plays for the Eagles, the job taken away from him and handed to Matt Patricia.
That’s a strange way of thinking, because it’s a management move. Then again, it’s strange taking the job away from a coordinator and for whatever reason, keeping the symbol of failure on the staff.
“They’ve switched responsibilities,” Sirianni said of the play-call flop from Desai to Patricia. “Sean did a really good job helping out in the game Monday, both in the locker room and on the headsets. Matt valued his opinions and vision. I really admire how Sean went about his business last week. I think if any of us had been in a situation where things didn’t go the way we wanted it to go, you can go two ways with that. He did everything he could to help the football team. That’s why Sean is here. We know he can help us moving forward and have a role on this staff.”
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