This week got away from me. Life has been ridiculously busy, and I couldn’t put together my usual weekly preview article. But with the Eagles turning to Joe Milton at quarterback, I still wanted to give you something. So, let’s do this! Milton is an easy player to get excited about and a lot of fun to watch. I enjoyed this one.
Strengths
A rare arm
The first thing you notice is the arm. Milton can rifle short and intermediate throws without needing a big wind-up or much of a step into the ball. It almost looks
like a flick of the wrist, and the ball arrives with unusual zip. The release is quick, too. He does not need a long gathering motion to generate velocity, which matters when a defender is closing or when the offense wants the ball out before the underneath coverage can rally.
That quick release could also make the Eagles’ RPO game more dangerous. A bubble or slant has to get out before the defender responsible for the receiver can drive downhill. Milton has the arm to deliver those throws quickly, and the ball can arrive before the defense has time to recover. The speed of the delivery gives the concept a chance to punish a defense for overcommitting to the run.
Receivers may need to adjust, because the ball comes in hot, but this is a rare physical tool. It jumps out on film. The same velocity that makes an RPO throw difficult to defend can also make an ordinary catch harder if the ball is high or behind the receiver.
The arm also lets Milton challenge tight windows. On this rep, he sees the linebacker dropping underneath and trusts that he can beat him to the spot. The ball gets there with enough speed to take away the defender’s chance to close the space.
That is the frustrating part of his film. His accuracy is not uniformly bad. He can put the ball exactly where it needs to go, then miss the next one by a mile.
Milton can drive the ball downfield, too. The Eagles have been short on vertical passing lately, and this preseason throw shows why they should give him chances to attack deep. He drops the ball into the bucket with both velocity and placement. This isn’t just about throwing it far; he has to put enough air and location on it for the receiver to run onto the ball while keeping the defender from making a play.
A strong arm can force a defense to respect the deep part of the field, but a deep passing game only works if the quarterback can pair range with precise ball location. Milton shows that combination here. The Eagles have not given us much vertical offense recently, and I need to see some of it. I’m hopeful Milton will throw some deep bombs this week!
Comfortable on the move and patient in the pocket
I expect the Eagles to use more play-action bootlegs with Milton. He looked comfortable throwing on the move throughout the preseason, and this was supposed to be a bigger part of the offense already. Boot action can make the defense honor the run, change the quarterback’s launch point, and create a simpler picture outside the pocket. Milton can sell that action and still deliver the ball while moving, which gives the play a chance to stress the edge defender and the coverage behind him.
If the Eagles want to lean on play action, Milton’s comfort on the move is a real reason to call it. Maybe we finally see more of it this week. If you can’t run play-action bootlegs with Joe Milton, I’m not sure you will be able to do it with anyone…
Milton can run, but he does not seem eager to abandon the pocket at the first opportunity. Here, he eliminates the routes at the top of the screen, works back to the comeback, steps up to avoid the edge rusher, and keeps looking to throw. He could take off through the open lane, but he wants to win as a passer first. He is prepared to stay in the pocket, make space for the throw, and keep his eyes downfield.
He is particularly comfortable rolling to his left. This is a 25-yard completion on the move, and he makes it look easy. A right-handed quarterback throwing across his body in that direction can make the ball sail, but Milton stays balanced enough to put it on the receiver without stopping and resetting. He gets the throw away while still moving rather than needing to gather himself and give the defense extra time to close.
Throwing on the move while rolling to the left, for a right-handed quarterback, is one of the more difficult skills to execute. Milton can do it pretty easily. The Eagles can move him away from the original launch point without reducing the play to “run or throw it away.” The film shows that he can keep the play alive as a passer.
A downfield weapon
Then there is the deep ball. On this 50-yard throw, Milton looks off the safety, takes the one-on-one shot, and puts the ball in the back corner of the end zone. He may be a beat late, but the arm strength gives him enough margin to complete a throw that would be unavailable to many quarterbacks. He has to get it over the coverage and still keep it in a spot where only his receiver can make the play.
Designed run threat
The running ability is another obvious way to make this offense more interesting. Milton is a big, powerful quarterback who can move quickly in the open field. The 4.6 40 time is evident on film. The Eagles should design runs for him and use that threat to help the run game. If they cannot get a quarterback with his size and speed to create something on the ground, I am not sure what else they are waiting for.
I want to see some QB counter bash, QB draw, and good old-fashioned read-option runs. Those concepts make the defense account for Milton as a ball carrier instead of treating him as a passer who might scramble only when the play breaks down. On a read option, the edge defender has to respect the quarterback keep; on a designed draw or counter bash, Milton can become an extra runner in the blocking scheme. That can change the numbers in the box and create a conflict for the defense. It will not fix a struggling run game by itself, but it gives the Eagles another way to make the defense hesitate.
Weaknesses
Accuracy can be precise or wildly off
The biggest issue is inconsistent accuracy. Milton doesn’t always miss by a little; when he does, the ball can be nowhere near the target. This is a wide-open deep crossing route with a clean pocket, and he sails it badly. There is no pressure forcing him to rush the throw in this example, and the receiver has room to work across the field. The ball simply does not give him a chance to complete it.
The arm strength makes the good throws spectacular, but you can’t miss like this and play in this league. There is a reason a quarterback with this level of physical talent was available. He will miss some throws by a big distance.
Turnovers
The other obvious risk is that Milton trusts his arm enough to force throws that are not there. He can fit the ball into windows other quarterbacks cannot, but that confidence can turn into a turnover when the read or timing is wrong.
The Eagles have leaned toward a risk-averse style; I am not sure they can play exactly the same way with Milton. He is a boom-or-bust quarterback, and the coaching staff will have to accept some lows if it wants to access the highs. There is a balance to find: let him use the arm and create explosive plays, while giving him clear answers so he does not feel he has to force a hero throw on every difficult down.
Final Thoughts
I am not pretending Milton is a polished answer at quarterback. Obviously. The accuracy can be wildly inconsistent, and the bad plays are pretty rough. But there is legitimate talent here. He has a quick release, rare velocity, real downfield ability, and enough mobility to add a different dimension to the offense. The Eagles have spent too much of this season making the offense hard to watch. Milton gives them a chance to run more boot action, take vertical shots, and use the quarterback in the run game.
Will it be messy? Almost certainly. It could completely suck, let’s be honest. This is a poorly schemed offense with a lot of talent issues right now. If they allow loads of unblocked pressure again, he probably won’t have a chance to succeed. Milton’s mobility may help him escape some of that pressure. But the protection and the play design still have to give him a chance to operate.
But if the Eagles cannot be good right now, I would at least like them to be fun. Why the hell not? Let Milton rip it. I’ve been so bored with the Eagles since Jalen Hurts has been unable to play. Joe Milton might just make it a little bit more fun, just not necessarily better.
Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you would like to support me further, please check out my Patreon here!
