Interim Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo
December 13, 2017
Opening Statement: Welcome. We were inside today, as you saw. We had a pretty good practice, I thought. Got some guys banged up. Pat (Hanlon) will get that to you. Some guys working through some bumps and bruises. Other than that, I’ll open it up. We’re on to Philadelphia, obviously. Another NFC East opponent. Good football team. I mean, we know what happened with their quarterback. I really felt bad for him. That’s a good football player. He’s good for the league, but we have a lot of respect for (Nick) Foles, as well. I’ve seen him operate back down there in Philadelphia a couple years back, so it wasn’t like they dropped off too much. So, having said that, I’ll just open it up.
Q: Any update on Justin Pugh?
A: Not yet. He’s still away with the evaluation. Nothing yet.
Q: What worked in your first game against Philadelphia this season for you as a defense and how can you do the same thing on Sunday?
A: Funny you say that. I didn’t think that it worked real well and the only reason I say that is because I was watching the end of that game last night. I want to say six minutes to go, or four or five, we still had a three-point lead and so that’s our responsibility on defense to hold the lead and we didn’t do that. They tied it up and then they hit the long field goal and, you know, the last play they got in a position to kick a 61-yard field goal. Just didn’t get operated the way it’s supposed to. So, that’s what I remember. Now, there were moments in there as I was watching third quarter plays. I was looking up there and saying we’re doing pretty good because the score is down and then they scored a couple of quick ones. It’s hard to remember that whole game, but I do remember it was one of those games where we felt defensively that once we got the lead that late in the game, it’s up to us to keep the lead and win the game.
Q: I think they ran for 180 yards against you guys.
A: It was something, yeah, they’ve been doing that to a lot of teams. I mean, they’re a pretty good rushing football team. That’s our number one focus this week.
Q: They didn’t have Jay Ajayi when you first played them.
A: No. But they had some pretty good runners, too. I believe isn’t that when Darren (Sproles) got hurt? I can’t remember how early in the game he got hurt, and we didn’t concentrate just on that game. That’s quite a ways ago and teams develop offensively and defensively as the season goes. So, I flipped through it real quick, but we’ve watched a lot of their last five or six games. I do remember the number and didn’t like it. I can’t remember all the plays, but I know they popped a few out there that, you know, we got to do a better job.
Q: How have the Eagles developed in the past four or five games that you’ve seen?
A: Yeah – they operate offensively like clockwork. I mean, they’ve got weapons on the outside. The tight ends are, you know, they got enough of them to worry about obviously and add in another running back to a group of running backs that are really good and it’s running back by committee. You got to be aware of which running back is in the game. It changes how they attack you running the football a little bit differently and certainly with Carson Wentz there, you put on the tape. I said this before. He’s like Houdini. He made all kinds of something out of nothing. That’s what he’s really good at. But, the system that Doug (Pederson) runs down there is taxing on you defensively from a standpoint of you have to stop the run so everybody gets heavy on their toes, and yet they got a really good play action pass game. I read somewhere where they weren’t connecting on a lot of those shots that they took, but I see a lot of them they do connect on. Those are the ones that we’re concerned with.
Q: How does the game plan change with Nick Foles at quarterback?
A: I don’t think it’s going to change all that much for us because you’ve got to stop that run game. It really didn’t matter who was handing it off. Now, I think Foles throws a really good football. That throw he made against the Rams to kind of clinch it, that was perfect. He threw it, they got a first down and kind of iced it. When he went in there and you watched that game, and he’s only played – I think I looked at 26 or 27 plays he’s had this year because I don’t believe he had any in preseason. And, you watch him in the Rams game. He obviously does a really good job getting ready to play a football game because they didn’t skip a beat when he went in there. Didn’t look like they limited with any checks or anything, so they’ve done a good job down there coaching them and he’s obviously a pro at what he does.
Q: What does Jay Ajayi do for their offense?
A: Yeah, a little bit. Now, I’m not going to say a complete change of pace back from (LeGarrette) Blount, but a little bit better dynamic outside. Although, 29 (LeGarrette Blount) can do it all, too. All three of those backs are really good. We got to be concerned with them. I think they’re pretty good pass blockers, too. They ask them to pass block quite a bit. A challenge both scheme-wise and the talent at running back.
Q: Eli Apple had an eventful end of the first game against the Eagles with a pass interference and the Alshon Jeffery play on the sideline…
A: I remember that one. I can’t remember the pass interference.
Q: Eli Apple has had an eventful season. Where is he now after today?
A: Practiced today – not with the starting group, but got reps in there. Worked with the scout team. He did some special teams reps, so we’re kind of getting him, trying to oil him back up. We’ll see where he is at the end of the week. At the end, you got to make a decision on 46 players, so that’ll all unfold as the week goes.
Q: Eli Apple is not on the injury report.
A: No. No. He’s gotten past that, so we’re good to go.
Q: What’s the deal with this guy?
A: This guy being?
Q: Eli Apple. What’s the deal with him?
A: I don’t want to pass judgement on a kid’s attitude or character. I think that’s just between me and him, but the tweeting obviously was very disappointing. I think I mentioned that the other day. We got past that with an apology. We’re men. Now, he has some – he’s going to have to deal with some repercussions because of that. He’s a young man that, look it, I’m into building up and not breaking down. So, we’ll keep trying to build up.
Q: Will Eli Apple get fined?
A: I’m not going to say that. I think that’s between me and the player.
Q: Eli Apple is a top 10 pick in his second year. You have to get him on the field at some point.
A: At some point, we got to do that. That’s the goal. That’s the goal.
Q: Has Eli Apple indicated that he’s willing to be built up?
A: Yeah.
Q: Did Eli Apple play better last year?
A: You know, I really thought – I think I kept saying this to you all early in the year. I don’t have a great memory, but I’m going to go back and I remember he had a couple of those penalties and then maybe got beat deep. I remember saying to you all that, look, I get that as a corner, that’s what sticks out. But, there are many snaps where Eli was covering his guy and they didn’t throw it there and that’s what goes unnoticed. Then, as the season progressed, I thought right before he hit this rough period that he had two or three games there where he played really, really well. We need to get back to that.
Q: Do you have Romeo Okwara coming back this week?
A: Not sure on that yet. He could, but I want to see the health of the other guys and all that.
Q: Has anything changed regarding Davis Webb and his status or practice reps?
A: No. Not right now. No. It’s been the same. But, I’m going to reiterate that Davis is a young man that’s preparing like he would start in the game. That’s just how he is. Made a couple great throws today. Two against the defense.
Q: Will Davis Webb be deactivated on Sunday?
A: That’s they plan right now as we are here today on Wednesday, December 13th. That would be the plan.
Q: You made Damon Harrison the defensive captain when Jonathan Casillas went on IR.
A: Yeah. When JC went on IR, we did that. Whatever day it was last week. It might have been Wednesday or Thursday.
Q: Was that just your decision?
A: Yeah. In this particular case, yeah. He’s a leader.
Q: Is there any shot that Davis Webb will get a start in Arizona?
A: I don’t know that yet. I don’t know that.
Q: Damon Harrison told us earlier in the season that he’s not a leader. You said he is.
A: It’s funny you say that. I just said, God gifted you with some leadership tools. I mean, we talked about that. He was more than willing to step up and be that guy. He doesn’t like to be in the forefront of things. You know how there are all different kinds of leaders. There’s guys that lead by example. There’s quiet leaders. There’s vocal leaders. He’s a leader.
Q: Does it make sense to shut Landon Collins down?
A: We’ll have to look at it. I don’t know if he’ll let us. Sometimes you got to protect these guys from themselves, but didn’t do anything today. We’ll see tomorrow and then he would have to convince – look it, I don’t want him to go out there and get hurt any worse. We’ll do the right thing.
