How ELITE Linebackers Prepare For an NFL Game

The job of a linebacker is quite extensive. [Music] Wicked jump up in the ring and just kick it round to the We are in the run game. We’re in the pass game. We have to be the communicators on the defense. We set the tone. We out there. We hit. That’s what we do. Does Nico have an interview after this? Yeah. Nico is going to come on here and say we got to run with 42 and hit with 330. Something along those lines, but I’m sure he’ll say that. I said it before, we uh bang with 350 and we run with 43. The main thing is really uh BDU block destruction university. Real quick, guys. Guys, the thing what I really want to make sure that you guys understand is you have to make a choice every single day whether you want to stay the same or you want to get better. Like that choice that you make needs to match your actions, right? So, make sure you do that in here in the meeting rooms at practice. All right, let’s make a choice. Work on three. 1 2 3. Our training has to be absolutely on point to play linebacker because we’re dealing with offensive linemen who are 345 lbs, sometimes even bigger. So, we have to be strong. We have to be athletic. And we have to cover. So, we have to run with wide receivers and running backs. We have to be in good shape so our body can hold up and withstand the beating it gets. First of all, it was important for everybody on the field to be in peak physical condition. But, uh, definitely as a linebacker, you shouldn’t come off the field. No matter what kind of play you just made, you had to run down the field, chase somebody and tackle them. You got to be the first one in the huddle. Uh, because you got to be the one making the call and getting out to everybody. good linebacker, you know, just needs to be a field general, be a sideline and sideline guy. Be a guy who can uh control the pack, control the the defense, and um you know, just has a visual presence on the field of understanding what his task is, assignment, where they get lined up at, and you know, his keys and responsibility and communication all around the board, and you know, just being a relentless competitor and um having relentless effort on the field. Yeah, we got to focus on everything. We can’t leave anything out. run, pass, third down, short yardage, red zone. We have to totally be dialed in on everything. You know, Eric, we know this running back run hard. Run hard. So, we have a lot of opportunities to go out go after that ball when he fight for them extra yards. What you think y’all did good in the last time, the last game y’all played? Took the ball away. Took the ball away. What about the one before that? Took the ball away. If you ask me, studying and watching film is is is super important. I mean, you know, there I do believe there are guys that can can go out there and just kind of play ball and even do good. But I feel like you take your game to the next level when you able to to study your opponent. Uh you kind of know what’s coming before it comes. The game slows down for you a lot. But that’s why I feel like it’s super important. You know, that how you take your game from being, you know, good to great or, you know, great to elite. I told you many quarter. Look where he threw the ball. Look who you throw it to. Yeah. Look who on it. Like not too many quarterbacks trust their arm as much as Matthew Stafford trust their arm. I think we do a very good job of grading detail, toughness, and effort. So now we’re going to do the same thing with team. That’s what this week’s going to be about. The together portion of it. How hard you play is a direct reflection of the love and respect you have for your teammates. And listen, we’re in week three. Just keep getting better. Keep getting better. block out everything else. All that matters is as we’re in here right here. And this takes time. Just like everything takes time, right? Building a team, right? Coming together as a team takes time. Just keep stacking days. All right? Find ways to win. Keep getting better. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Break. Recover been going well. It feels like I’ve been ready for a month and a half or so, but you know, you got to continue to polish off the little small things. So, I’m I’m ching at the big to get out there. I haven’t missed a meeting. I’ve done literally everything with the with the guys other than practicing and playing. That’s it. That’s the only thing I have been able to do. I feel like I I missed that the most from not being directly playing on the field. But, it’s okay. I’ve been it’s been getting built up and I’m going be ready to release it when I get back out there. gun. Set a little hell of a day. Okay, let’s do it. Uh, what you got? Hi. Let’s just fly around today. Yeah. Revert that we learned from from the film room for uh with with Vick and where D and put that out here, you know, on the field. Let’s just go. All right. All right. You ain’t got to say too much, bro. Let’s go. Dogs on three. One, two, three. Dogs. That definitely wasn’t long. I’m like, break it. Break it. Our linebacker core, man, you know, we’re tight. It’s a brotherhood. You know, we look at ourselves as a pack, as a unit, always around each other to, you know, like ask questions about different things or really just help each other on, you know, different things that we see on the field. So, we can be playmakers and we could, you know, just play as one and, you know, play all together. Jihad is like a like a new kid at a new school on the first day of school, but like a smart kid. You know what you about? You notice uh Jiad’s got white laces. Oh yeah. You next. What you got to do? What’s the criteria? You got to earn your stripes. You got to make a play. Make a play. All right. Smile is another Georgia Bulldog. Um, really smart, tough, physical player and I think he’s gonna have a really good career. Try, you always been short, huh? You always been short. Wait, you only got me right like this. Look, bro. I’m taller than you with that helmet on. I did helmet on. I got I got I got I got six foot even. ZB, I mean, he my guy. He He definitely uh has emerged as the leader of the defense. And on a on a lighter note to the young guys, he’s a little holeish. Hey, you ask me. Little he like to he he he crack jokes on the younger guys all the time like like he always like messes with Trot and Trot don’t even know that he messing with him. Trot Trot I’m kidding. I said in the interview I said you always try and trot don’t never know who you I’m locked in right now. This work time back want to play around man. This work time. I ain’t playing around. Try. He’s messing with you. Relax. Nico is a goofy dude. He’s a goofy dude. Definitely like the class clown, if you may. Um, but when it comes to football, he’s he’s really dialed in. Hey, when you come in for me during this next period, come in with some some enthusiasm cuz when I leave, we need someone to replace my juice. Oh, no way. Chasing the greatness all to some patience. I am the best. Just got to face it. I’m take off in the space. I level up from the basement. You cannot find a replacement as they look amazing. Yes, JD. Preparation is the biggest thing going into a game. That’s what gives me at least the confidence to go out there and play well and have that swagger out on the field. I’ll say this 12 Ps. Pitch pour preparation promotes pitch performance. Pit pour performance promotes pain. That’s it. So, as we look at this, obviously every play has an assist. Every play has an assist. But way we’re going to look at it when I actually look at it on on uh tomorrow night after we play the game and then review it in here. It’s going to be off of big plays. Turnover, defense, turnover, sack, tackle for loss, third and fourth down stop. offense, big play, touchdown, third and fourth down conversion, right? Third and fourth down conversion. The big plays that happen are not a result of just one individual. You can’t reach your goals as a team or an individual, right? By yourself. You need the dude next to you. Always in this sport. Hey, dominate today. Dominate today. They put it on our shoulders. They say we can change the game. Let’s go change the game. There’s only one thing we can do. You can go run around. Whatever we do, single win. We dogs, we Here we go. Hey, dogs on three. 1 2 3. You got to remember two years ago this Eagles defense ranked 30th in the NFL. But Vic Fangio taking him from 30th to the best in the NFL and his plus. Second and 10. Stafford throws an interception. Zack Bed and picked it off. And if there’s one player that was at the exact defensive turnaround, it was this man, Zack Bond. He could play on the ball, he could play off the ball, and he is one of the best pass defending linebackers in the entire NFL. One of the best stories in the league the last year. [Applause] Give me some cover. What was a 2 and 0 start has devolved here to a very ugly, frustrating first half. And that is 26 unanswered for the Rams after the Eagles scored a touchdown on their first drive. Wow. I’m not sure what to say. It is all LA. They got to get the ball in the hands of their best players. Herz down the sideline. There’s Brown. He’s got it against Durant. He is firing. It’s caught. It’s a touchdown for Dallas. There’s a lot of time left in this game if they can keep this up. Being chased. Stafford got pulled down. Jordan Davis hot in pursuit. Second down. Brown end zone. He’s got it for the touchdown. Can they stop him? Hand up to Williams and they shut him down. They stop him in his truck. They shut him down. It was blocked. It’s blocked. They blocked the kick. Hurts goes outside and it’s a perfect strike. AJ Brown stays in bounds to the 15. Second time on this drive. They found Brown on third down. They look to throw to the sideline. It’s Smith. He’s got it. Touchdown Philly all the way back to take the lead. They want to get this thing as close as possible. Take all the pressure off. [Music] And now they’ll try to set this one up. He’s kick away [Music] from 44. [Applause] We’ve seen a lot of crazy endings, buddy. And I’m not sure we’ve seen backto back blocked field goals in the last one resulting in a walk-off touchdown. Unbelievable effort. That’s what the you do right there, guys. That mental toughness. This is what I need you guys to have in your time. I need you to have it the rest of the season. I need you to have it the rest of the time you’re an Eagle. And I need you to have it the rest of the time you’re in life. Yes, sir. that there’s going to be times we’re down. There’s going to be times we can’t we don’t want to get back up. All right? We don’t want to get back up, but we pick ourselves up and we keep getting up. All right? You guys got to remember that for me. All right? Cuz that’s what this team did today. There’s something dangerous about a team that doesn’t stop fighting.

Join the Philadelphia Eagles linebackers as they take you through everything they do to prepare for an NFL game. Watch as linebackers Zack Baun, Jihaad Campbell, and Nakobe Dean show you what they do in order to mentally and physically prepare for the matchup versus the Los Angeles Rams.

All this and more on this episode of All-Access, presented by Lincoln Financial.

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