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Fletcher Cox Responds to Fake Punt Criticism

Kevin Kinkead - January 17, 2019

via NFL

So earlier today we wrote a story called “The Saints Targeted Fletcher Cox on their Fake Punt.” It was a short post, just a couple of sentences and an NFL Turning Point video clip shared by Warren Sharp on Twitter.

In the clip, it’s explained that the Saints felt like they could run at Cox in a fake punt situation because they saw film of him playing passively during similar sequences in the wild card game against Chicago. You can see Fletcher ease up and not really push into the offensive linemen as the punter goes about his business.

That video is making the rounds, and I guess some people are suggesting that Cox was taking plays off or not giving 100%, which resulted in this response a short time ago:

Like I wrote in the earlier post, the Saints triple-teamed Cox on the play, moving him backwards with three blockers and then pushing Taysom Hill into those dudes. Cox was indeed injured and had to come out of the game for some time. When he did return, he immediately drew a penalty flag on the Saints offensive line, which made me laugh out loud at the time. That’s how good he is.

So I don’t think anybody doubts Cox’s commitment. Not anybody who knows what they’re talking about. He’s easily the best player on the defense and maybe the team. Still, New Orleans identified something on the film and made it work, so I guess it is what it is.

Here’s a Better Look at the Fletcher Cox Hit on Joe Staley

Kevin Kinkead - October 30, 2017

Shout out to my former co-worker Pat Gallen at CBS 3, who pulled this video of the Fletcher Cox hit from the station’s ground-level game footage:

It’s still hard to see exactly where the contact with Staley’s face occurs. The 49ers left tackle broke his orbital bone on the play and suffered a bleeding gash below his eye, so you wonder if Cox got his right hand inside the facemask. The Birds’ defensive tackle put his arms up after the play as if to say that he didn’t mean to injure Staley.

Earlier today, Adam Schefter reported that the NFL was reviewing this hit for “potential discipline and possible suspension.” Doug Pederson touched on the topic at his day-after press conference, explaining that the all-22 coaching video did not provide a good look at the incident.

Report: NFL Reviewing Fletcher Cox “Cheap Shot” on Joe Staley

Kevin Kinkead - October 30, 2017

Did Fletcher Cox catch Joe Staley with a cheap shot?

The San Francisco left tackle broke his orbital bone when he was hit by the Birds’ defensive tackle on an interception return in Sunday’s 33-10 win at Lincoln Financial Field.

The league is now apparently reviewing that block:

The FOX broadcast did not capture the hit in question, which took place off-camera during Mills’ 38-yard touchdown return. Judging by context, Cox likely caught Staley with a crack-back block or got his hand inside the facemask while Mills was moving horizontally across the field.

When the play caught up to the pair, Staley was on the ground with Cox holding both of his hands in the air as if to say, “I’m innocent:”

Staley was shown on the sidelines afterward with a nasty gash below his right eye. He spent the night in a Philadelphia hospital while his teammates flew home to San Francisco.

Staley was released from the hospital and took a flight back to the Bay Area early this morning:

Have Defense, Will Travel

Tim Reilly - October 13, 2017

Photo credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

With a win over the Carolina Panthers, the Eagles head into their mini-bye week with a 5-1 record. Undoubtedly, a number of narratives and storylines will emerge in the next few days from NFL pundits and journalists seeking to explain the Eagles’ success.

Allow me to add my own voice to the cacophony of the cognoscenti. If you want to understand why the Birds are currently sitting atop the NFC, look no further than the often competent, sometimes dominant play of its defense.

Heading into the season, the Eagles’ early slate appeared to be a daunting challenge for a young team fielding an inexperienced secondary. After opening the season in Washington against a team that had won five in a row against them, the Eagles were scheduled to fly to Kansas City to take on a tough Chiefs squad at Arrowhead, one of the NFL’s loudest stadiums. Philadelphia would then play their home opener against the New York Giants before flying across the country to take on Eagle-killer Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers. A home contest with the Arizona Cardinals and a road date against the Panthers on a short week rounded out the frame.

In August, a 3-3 record seemed like the best-case scenario for an Eagles team that limped to the 2016 finish line with a 1-7 record away from Lincoln Financial Field. How would the defense contend with Kirk Cousins, who has made a living in recent years carving up the Eagles’ secondary? Would they have any answers for Andy Reid’s creative offensive scheme? Could they slow down a pass-happy Giants team that was loaded with weapons at the wide receiver position? Would Rivers torch them like he did in 2013, when he threw for 419 yards and three touchdowns? Did the Eagles have a realistic chance of derailing the high-octane Cardinals offense? Could they contend with Cam Newton?

Once again, we learned that it is folly to look ahead in the NFL by looking back. The past is not always prologue, especially for a young team that has been developing an imposing defense.

The unit is led by coordinator Jim Schwartz, who has been granted the autonomy by head coach Doug Pederson to run the defense as he sees fit. Schwartz’s reputation for arrogance preceded him when he arrived in Philadelphia, and there were speculative rumblings in the media at the beginning of the season that he might have been undermining Pederson.

Notwithstanding the man’s real and perceived faults, Schwartz has proven himself an exceptional coach. Through six games, his defense has been fundamentally sound. They tackle well, swarm to the ball, pressure the quarterback, and maintain gap discipline (most of the time).

It all starts with the front seven, which is the strength of the unit. The Eagles boast a bevy of quality pass rushers in Chris Long, Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, and Derek Barnett. Fletcher Cox and Tim Jernigan have dominated the interior. Meanwhile, the linebacking corps has benefited from the strong play of Nigel Bradham, Jordan Hicks, and the resurgent Mychal Kendricks. Continue Reading

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Down the Wormhole on Cox’s Tip

Kyle Scott - February 29, 2016

So I’m getting shit over the Fletcher Cox tip story (Jeremy Maclin was there as well). Admittedly I at first didn’t consider the possibility there was a cash tip. But, since posting, I’ve heard from two waitresses – one of them Cox’s – both of whom claim there was no tip, and from Cox’s dining party, which claims there was a tip.

Let’s explore both ends of the Cox tip tale.

The waitress tasked with handling Cox Saturday night, verbatim and sic’d: Continue Reading

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UPDATE: Fletcher Cox’s Tip

Kyle Scott - February 28, 2016

UPDATE: Someone who works at Pinsetter reached out to us on Twitter and said that a tip was left, in cash: “He 100% left cash as a tip. I was there. Our waitress should be ashamed of herself as well and cleared that up!”

So, there you have it. We got yet another tip to the contrary, which we’re still checking out. My concern was over whether the receipt was forged or not, and I never thought to consider the cash angle, given how pissed both the tipster and a separate tweeter were that he didn’t leave a tip on the card. I removed the image of the receipt for now.

UPDATE 2: Yet another person who says they work at Pinsetter, a waitress named [redacted], who is pissed about the situation, reached out to me this morning and said that no cash tip was found and that others are worried about getting in trouble with work for going public with it [apparently Eagles frequently hang out there]. “No chance at all” a cash tip was left, she said. I’ve reposted the original image.

Original post after the jump.

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3 Eagles in Pro Bowl + 3 Alternates

Mark Saltveit - December 23, 2015

Three Philadelphia Eagles were named to the Pro Bowl Tuesday: DE Fletcher Cox (finally!), Darren Sproles (as a punt returner), and in a surprise, LT Jason Peters.

Naming Peters is kind of a habit at this point. He has been selected every year since 2008, except for 2012 when he didn’t play at all due to a ruptured achilles tendon. 2015 has not been his strongest year, but he earned the admiration of his fellow players by holding together a very shaky offensive line through force of will, despite his age (34 in a month) and a series of painful injuries.

The number of Pro Bowlers on the Eagles (three) matches the total on Green Bay and Pittsburgh. Undefeated Carolina leads the league with 10, while the other elite teams — New England, Seattle and Arizona — have seven each.

Three Eagles were named as alternates, according to Bleacher Report: center Jason Kelce, safety Malcolm Jenkins, and special teamer Chris Maragos. The team has not confirmed this as of late Tuesday night. Punter Donnie Jones and OLB Connor Barwin were flat out snubbed.

Jeff Skversky of ABC-6 Sports tweeted an interesting list of Eagles Chip Kelly has cut.

Skversky quote on ex-Eagle pro bowlers

The thing is, Shady is the only one on that list selected this year, which kind of undercuts Skversky’s point. (And he was a somewhat controversial pick himself, as the league’s 9th best running back by yardage.) In general, the players Chip got rid of made sense; Todd Herremans, Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher are all out of the league. It’s the players he chose to replace them that have been a problem.

Meanwhile, one of the most discussed snubs was former Eagle Kurt Coleman, who is having a miracle year with seven interceptions and a touchdown already in 2015. (He had a total of 10 interceptions in his first five NFL years, none of them in 2013 when he played for Chip.) Here’s an argument no one could have predicted a year ago:

Eagles – Skins: 6 Surprises

Mark Saltveit - October 4, 2015

Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

1. The offensive line actually got worse. And then it got better

This OL has been hanging by a thread all season, and then Andrew Gardner got injured. Surprisingly, he turned out to be a key part of this year’s line, and it got worse in his absence. Then Jason Peters reinjured his quad and left the game midway through the first half. In the second, Lane Johnson hurt his left knee on a PAT try, and was pounding the turf in pain but came back in at the next opportunity.

Jimmy Kempski has been warning everyone who would listen that the Eagles have a dangerously thin bench on the offensive line. I’ll admit, I was annoyed by his relentlessness on the issue but I take it all back. He was absolutely right and the Eagles are paying the price.

And yet, in the second half, the line had a miracle recovery, even with Peters and Gardner out. Somehow, despite three sacks and approximately eleventy billion QB hits in the first half, the remnant line found a way to give Bradford plenty of time to develop long plays.

2. Sam Bradford went deep

Fans have been yelling at the Eagles to have Sam go deep all year. It has been tough with teams running coverages to take away the bomb and a shaky OL (which to be fair gave Bradford plenty of clean pockets in the first three games). So in the second half today, with the line ripped apart by injuries and the offense in tatters, Sam Bradford started throwing long.

The surprise is, it worked! First Agholor’s one-handed grab for 45 yards. Then a miss to Matthews (still exciting) and the 62-yard TD bomb to Riley Cooper of all people (just to add a little humiliation for the Skins DBs. The bombs kept dropping, hit or miss; Matthews for 31 yards, incomplete to Ertz, 10 yard touchdown to Celek (the other forgotten receiver), a 39-yarder to Miles Austin for another TD!

FedEx Field turned into the Land of Forgotten Receivers for Philly today. Continue Reading

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