Eagles pocket book: A task for Jalyx Hunt, prepared for noise and extra

Eagles notebook: A role for Jalyx Hunt, ready for noise and more initially appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

After being inactive in Week 1, Eagles rookie Jalyx Hunt made his NFL debut in Week 2.

And it went nicely.

“He did an unbelievable job of going on the market and enjoying at a excessive stage,” particular groups coordinator Michael Clay mentioned. “Graded out nicely.”

Whereas the Eagles misplaced a heartbreaker, 22-21, to the Falcons, the rookie from Houston Christian performed 13 snaps and impressed his coaches.

Earlier than Monday evening’s recreation, the Eagles waived veteran exterior linebacker Patrick Johnson to create a roster spot. That additionally created a possibility for Hunt on particular groups.

“Yeah, Jalyx carried out, I assumed, rather well on quick discover,” Clay mentioned. “He did a fantastic job. He is a ball of power. He is bought physicality to him. He triggered that unlawful block within the again on the kickoff that basically helped us from the 24 to the 14, the place Trot made a play.

“I feel that is the cool factor about it. You see all these younger cats on the market, they do not blink, they do not flinch. They’re on the market making an attempt to provide one of the best capacity they’ll, they usually’re actually doing a superb job. However we anticipate them to get higher, and we will push them to get higher, and I feel they’re accepting of the problem.”

Right here’s the second-quarter play Clay referenced. You see Hunt (third from the left) beat his man (No. 40) and pressure the penalty:

Johnson was such an enormous contributor on particular groups within the Nick Sirianni Period; no one has performed extra particular groups snaps than him. After Johnson was waived, the Giants claimed him. So now that accountability belongs to Hunt.

Hunt might ultimately earn a job within the edge rusher rotation however for now his job goes to be particular groups. He bought off to a superb begin final week.

Prepared for the noise

The Eagles have been working all week to organize for the noise they anticipate to expertise on the Superdome on Sunday afternoon.

“Yeah, quite a lot of it’ll be communication,” proper deal with Lane Johnson mentioned. “It’s going to be loud so ensuring we get our calls, ensuring we’re on the fitting cadence. Out of all of the locations, it’s most likely one of many louder ones.”

Head coach Nick Sirianni mentioned the Eagles did as a lot as they may to simulate the gang noise all week. They’ve been pumping up the noise in apply.

Sirianni mentioned they’ve additionally been enjoying crowd noise — not music — nonstop. Throughout video games, there are ups and downs with the noise however the Eagles wished to maintain it fixed to make communication even more durable in apply.

“It’s been loud. Our ears are ringing from the gang noise yesterday,” he mentioned. “Generally, you attempt to even put it up just a little bit louder. We now have it up as loud because the audio system go, however to make it louder, typically you really use — as an alternative of music, you utilize the gang noise. Which may grow to be annoying, however that is what we have carried out.

“So speaking and being on the identical web page within the noise is one in all our keys to win this recreation. That is actually any time you are on the street, however particularly in New Orleans.”

The chance of RPOs

Since Jalen Hurts has been the Eagles’ beginning quarterback, they’ve gotten quite a lot of worth out of utilizing the Run-Cross Choice. However with these RPOs comes the hazard of taking Ineligible Downfield Cross penalties.

The Eagles have been penalized thrice for that on Monday evening.

“Yeah, I feel we had some actually, actually good discussions simply because it has been a extremely profitable element for us, so we do not wish to lose that aspect of our offense,” offensive coordinator Kellen Moore mentioned. “There’s half approach, half scheme. There’s actually a mix of that.

“We have had some actually good discussions. We do not wish to lose that side of it. However the timing of all the pieces and when to make these choices and when to name these performs, I feel all have vital moments. We had some actually enjoyable discussions about this that I feel will assist going ahead.”

Mainly, on these RPOs, the offensive line begins to run block however they’ll’t leak down the sector. In the event that they go away the impartial zone earlier than the go, it’s a penalty.

It is a downside that pre-dates Moore’s arrival in Philadelphia. Since Nick Sirianni turned head coach (and Hurts turned the beginning QB), the Eagles have been penalized a league-high 15 instances and have been referred to as for it 22 instances.

“It’s been just a little completely different through the years,” Hurts mentioned. “It looks like it’s been extra aggressively referred to as, particularly in that recreation. So it’s one thing that we’ve to do a extremely good job of in how we execute it and the way we put together for these conditions so we will take ourselves out of these positions.”

Numerous new on protection

The Eagles’ protection is coming off a extremely disappointing efficiency towards the Falcons on Monday Night time Soccer. Throughout Vic Fangio’s Thursday press convention, there have been loads of questions on inexperience. Zack Baun hasn’t performed a lot inside linebacker so he hasn’t handled lower blocks, Quinyon Mitchell is a rookie, Bryce Huff is enjoying a brand new position in Philly.

In spite of everything that, the veteran DC was requested if there’s an excessive amount of inexperience on his facet of the soccer to perform at a excessive stage.

“Yeah, I do not suppose it is as lower and dry as that,” Fangio mentioned. “You may be younger and nonetheless play nicely, mentally and bodily. There’s been quite a lot of guys that try this.

Are we nonetheless within the strategy of studying find out how to do all the pieces? Most likely. Doing it at a excessive stage of proficiency, particularly when the sport is on the road. However yeah, I imply, possibly.”

Taking part in Spikeball

Throughout Monday evening’s recreation, Hurts had an uncharacteristic penalty referred to as on him throughout the second quarter of the loss.

The Eagles have been confronted with a 4th-and-3 from the Atlanta 41-yard line when Hurts broke free and scrambled for a 23-yard recreation to get the Eagles into the crimson zone. As he rose to his ft, he emphatically spiked the soccer, which rolled away.

Hurts was penalized for a delay of recreation.

“I didn’t know I might get flagged for that,” Hurts mentioned. “If I might have identified that, I most likely wouldn’t have carried out it.”

Nonetheless, it was notable that Hurts confirmed a lot emotion in that second — extra emotion than we’re used to seeing from him. The Eagles have been down three factors at that second in a recreation that ended up being extraordinarily shut.

“Truthfully, I wished the stadium to really feel me,” Hurts mentioned. “It was a type of video games the place we would have liked everybody. And once I imply everybody, we’d like all three phases and each seat that was crammed in that stadium, within the Linc. I feel it positively bought a superb spike of power however we got here up quick. We’ll have one other alternative to shake again from that.”

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