Getty Eagles defenders Rodney McLeod, Avonte Maddox, K'Von Wallace celebrate after a turnover in 2020.
The Philadelphia Eagles received encouraging updates on several key starters, including tight end Zach Ertz and safety Rodney McLeod. Both players were limited participants at Thursday’s practice.
Not great news that they didn’t practice in full but better than the day before when five guys sat out. Six total players were listed as “limited participants” on Thursday: WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside (ankle), G Brandon Brooks (knee), S Marcus Epps (concussion), TE Zach Ertz (hamstring), CB Avonte Maddox (groin), S Rodney McLeod (knee).
Defensive end Ryan Kerrigan was a full participant after dealing with a personal matter. Five Eagles were healthy scratches and watched practice from the sideline. Remember, veteran players are entitled to maintenance/rest days this time of year.
Thursday injury report
Head coach Nick Sirianni keeps preaching his mantra of getting one-percent better every single day. There’s no pressure to win if you are prepared, mentally and physically.
“The pressure of any win or loss or home game, it’s just solely focused on what do we need to do to win this football game scheme wise,” Sirianni said, “and how are we going to execute that plan, and are we going to put ourselves in position as a team like we did last week to get better every day, so when you step up on the field on Sunday, you’re ready.”
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Eagles, New Era Debut New Streetwear Apparel
Looking for new Eagles threads to support the youth movement? Your search ends here.
The Eagles have partnered with New Era on a street-inspired line called the “FLY Collection.” It is a an elevated, boldly branded apparel capsule inspired by the special bond the team shares with its fans and the City of Philadelphia, according to a press release. Apparel includes branded hoodies, short-sleeved t-shirts, jackets and headwear.
“This apparel line is all about authenticity and creative expression,” said Jen Kavanagh, Senior Vice President, Media and Marketing. “To many, being an Eagles fan is a lifestyle, so this exclusive collection provides a unique opportunity to showcase that fandom throughout the year.”
As we come up on the 2021 season opener, a full lineup of special promotions and offers is set to drop this week for #Eagles fans. The first of which is the new FLY Collection, a streetwear-inspired apparel line that exclusively hits all @EaglesProShop locations on Thursday.
Sirianni Comments on Kyle Shanahan
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is widely respected in coaching circles for his offensive schemes. He employs the “outside zone,” which relies on play-action passing and single cuts for the running backs. His concepts are being copied around the NFL.
The Toss Outside Zone run concept out of 21 and 22 personnel has been very good to the #49ers during the playoffs, as it lets their RBs get to the edge quicker and downhill to use their speed to create gashes.
As always, it’s fun to see the pre-snap motions used by Shanahan.
Sirianni doesn’t know Shanahan personally, but he respects the way he stresses fundamentals.
“I don’t know him personally,” Sirianni said. “I know him to say, ‘Hello,’ but where he has influence on me, as any good coach has influence on me with how they coach their team, you can see he’s a good coach. His team plays with good fundamentals and good scheme.”
Leave it to Kyle Shanahan to combine outside zone with a wham play with three cross blocks inside
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Sirianni continued: “It’s, ‘Hey does your team play with good fundamentals and good scheme?’ To me, that’s a big part of how you’re a good coach. That’s where he’s had influence on me is just his scheme and the way his players play. No secret how good of a football coach he is.”