EagleWonk

Now What?

2010-01-10T00:15:00.002-05:00

Man, that was crushing.

The Eagles just didn't have anything in this 34-14 loss to the Cowboys. They were overwhelmed. McNabb looked dreadful, but he was running for his life all night.

I really thought the Eagles would bounce back and make this game close, and that whichever team had the ball last would win. Well the second quarter sealed the Birds fate. After the Sean Jones interception was taken away, the Birds deflated. They never got their attitude back. It spiraled out of control within minutes of that twist of fate.

So now the Eagles head into the off-season in an interesting position - they have three starting quarterbacks. They're almost certaionly going to trade two of them.

So yes, I think it's the end of the McNabb era.

The Eagles' front office is a "value front office" - if they can turn a player into the right draft choice, they'll do the deal. And there are a ton of teams that need a QB - Cleveland, Carolina, St. Louis, Oakland, Washington, Miami, maybe Denver - and that's just off the top of my head. One of them will pay a good ransom for McNabb.

As for Kolb, I think he's a better fit for what the Eagles have offensively. They need a point guard that can distribute the ball. They need Mo Cheeks, not Allen Iverson.

McNabb's had a just-short-of-great career here. But it really does feel like time to turn the page.

More to come in the days ahead.

Win One For The Spitter

2010-01-09T13:09:00.004-05:00

While we're all sitting around wondering if this will be McNabb and/or Westbrook's last game in Midnight Green and hoping that the Eagles can "win one for the Spitter," I'm here to talk about what needs to happen on the field tonight.

Here's One Man's Guide for erasing the ugly memory of 24-zip:

1. Play Trotter. A lot. I can't believe I'm saying it because I killed the guy for a big block of the season, but he's like Obi Wan Kenobi for the Eagles tonight against the run - he's their only hope. Trotter was outstanding in the second half last week. True, he can't cover Witten, but nobody else can either (although I'm also hoping we Tracy White getting that assignment). Trot's veteran leadership will also be a big plus in this environment. And while we're talking defense, give me more Sean Jones, less Macho Harris.

2. Lean on Westbrook, not Shady. I know everybody thinks 36 is shot, but I disagree. He's still a better all around back than the rookie McCoy, and if the Eagles give him the rock 15 times tonight, it'll be good.

3. Run early, run often. As a corollary to #2, I'd like to see nine of the first 15 plays be called runs. I know it's asking a lot, but it'll pay dividends. Trust me. McNabb still needs to be firing it deep - the Eagles can't win without big plays - but the offense needs to fire some of these body blows early. Certainly, Dallas won't be expecting it, and if you can draw those safeties up a couple steps, DeSean Jackson will toast them.

4. Send the dogs after Romo like he's been slathered in bacon. To paraphrase Churchill, Never stop blitzing - never, never, never, never! (oops - "blitz" and "Churchill" probably shouldn't be together here) I don't think any of us would mind if Sean McDermott released the hounds on 100 percent of the Eagles defensive snaps in this game. Passive ain't working. Go get 'em, Seanny.

5. Score first. This is always a good idea, but I think it's just about imperative for the Eagles tonight. An early Cowboys' score and the doubt could creep into the Eagles minds. An early haymaker by the Eagles will show the Cowboys that this game is going to be a teensy bit different.

Remember, the Andy Reid and Donovan NcNabb Eagles typically bounce back after a bad game. And Donovan is 8-2 career in first and second round playoff games.

And here's another thing to remember - David Akers is waaaay better than Shaun Suisham. That just might be the difference.

What Spadaro Should've Done

2010-01-08T19:02:00.001-05:00

By now, you've all heard about what Bob Ford called LoogieGate - Eagles website director Dave Spadaro's spitting on the Cowboy's logo last Sunday - and you've heard or seen Spadaro's tortured apology.

My thoughts as someone whose real job is working in public relations - he should not have apologized.

I mean, please.

Here's what Spadaro should've said:

"I shouldn't have done it, but it was done in the spirit of fun and rivalry. People need to lighten up."

Don't act like you killed a litter of kittens. Spadaro's hand-wringing online made this story far worse and far bigger than it ever would've or should've been. We live in a country where protesters burn the American flag and "artists" makes crucifixes out of feces. The Cowboys star is not sacred. If you're an Eagles' fan, it isn't even close.

I like Dave - he's a good guy and does a good job as someone who is at the forefront of a new breed of journalism. (There are plenty of people who don't like that new breed of journalism; they should also go back to driving Model T's and churning butter.) But I completely disagree with his politically correct overreaction. A far better reaction would've been to say "yeah I did it... so what?"

He didn't hurt anybody. He isn't Tiger Woods. It wasn't the most professional moment of his life, I'm sure, but let's not tie ourselves up in knots about it.

Hopefully now, the Eagles can go out and win one for the Spitter.

Boys/Birds - Who's Better?

2010-01-05T05:52:00.001-05:00

I fear that John Smallwood is right.

How Do You Bounce Back?

2010-01-03T19:38:00.002-05:00

Getting up off the mat will be the big test for the Eagles this week.

Coming home with their tails between their legs, getting the tar kicked out of them in practice, then flying back down to Dallas - that's what the Birds have ahead of them. How do you shake off everything bad that happened today and feel good about yourself going into next week's game?

It seems like a daunting task.

But the players don't think so. I just spoke with Jon Dorenbos from the locker room and here's what I can tell you - the players are angry. Dorenbos said turning back around and playing winning football in Big D won't be hard.

"We're professional athletes; we've all lost games and we've bounced back," said Dorenbos.

The Eagles looked physically manhandled in the 1st half,and that's scary. They bowed up in the 2nd half and looked far better on defense. So I think we have to assume that they can physically hang with Dallas. Right?

Right?

Worst Half of the Year?

2010-01-03T17:48:00.003-05:00

I'll be brief - ouch.

The Eagles looks small, slow and confused. Sean McDermott seems completely outflanked by Jason Garrett. And the "great young receivers" should really think about holding onto the ball. This could still be a game if they didn't have the dropsies.

The only thing I'm dreading more than the 2nd half is the next week of preparing for another Cowboys game in Dallas.

Missing Jamaal

2010-01-03T08:38:00.003-05:00

So, as you know by now, Eagles center Jamaal Jackson is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. It's a blow because Jackson was having a good season. It's especially difficult today against the Cowboys because Jay Ratliff is a very good nose tackle.

But the statement at the bottom of this is just stone cold stupid. To say the Eagles will miss Jamaal Jackson more than they've missed Stewart Bradley is standard sportswriter idiocy. It's a mediocre writer saying "look at me - I know so much about football that I can appreciate a center!"

Not to say that Jackson hasn't had a really good season, and not to say that he won't be missed. But the Eagles can fill in for Jackson better than they did for Bradley for the simple fact that Nick Cole and Max Jean-Gilles have played and started and the Eagles have won with them.

The season-long search for a passable Mike linebacker has had a crushing effect on the Eagles D. They simply don't have anyone of the right size and speed to play the position.

But Cole and MJG are big enough and mobile enough to be effective. The O-line won't be as solid without Jackson, but please. They'll get by.

It'll be interesting today to see the Eagles first half run-pass ratio. Will they run more to get Cole and Max Jean rolling, give them a little more confidence? That would slow down the Cowboy pass rush, and it just might pick up a few yards.

This game - and consequently the NFC East - will be won or lost when the Eagles have the ball. The Birds' offense is explosive; the Cowboys defense is third in the League. That's the game, right there. The Eagles must do a better job in the red zone than they did in the first meeting - touchdowns, not field goals.

Again, that's the game. And Cole and Jean-Gilles will have to be a part of that. Creating a comfort zone early for them will be important. Some early success will be a big boost. So, a few extra runs early will help them overcome the loss of Jackson and open things up for that offensive explosion we all hope is coming.

Leaders of Men?

2009-12-29T14:26:00.006-05:00

Everybody thinks they could do a better job of coaching their favorite NFL team. Regardless of who the coach is, he isn't perfect, he makes mistakes and we Monday-morning-quarterback him to death.

But there are some coaches who just seem to invite more second guesses. Their game management seems nonsensical. Their play-calling is illogical. They look funny on the sideline.

Don't look now, but a lot of those guys that get ridiculed are leading their teams into the post-season.

With a week to go in the season, here are the teams who are headed to the playoffs, along with their head coaches:

Saints (Sean Payton)
EAGLES (Andy Reid)
Vikings (Brad Childress)
Cardinals (Ken Whisenhunt)
Cowboys (Wade Phillips)
Packers (Mike McCarthy)
Colts (Jim Caldwell)
Chargers (Norv Turner)
Bengals (Marvin Lewis)
Patriots (Bill Belichick)
Jets (Rex Ryan)
Ravens (John Harbaugh)

At least four of those men will probably never get respect from fans and talk show hosts - Reid, Childress, Phillips and Turner. They get belittled and even vilified on a weekly basis.

Caldwell is getting killed this week for white-flagging Sunday's game against the Jets (which really does seem like it has the potential to crush his team).

Rex Ryan just read his Christmas list to reporters last week and - like his dear ol' Dad, Buddy - is a bit of a roller coaster ride as a head coach.

Marvin Lewis spent most of the past three seasons conferencing with a bail bondsman on behalf of his trouble roster.

Bill Belichick? Sure, he's a genius, but he seemed more mad than scientist a month ago when he went for it on 4th-and-two on his own 29. Plus, everybody hates his guts.

Mike McCarthy remains a complete and utter mystery to most of America. I really don't have an opinion of him and I don't think you do, either. In this group, that's practically a positive.

But there's more - in the AFC, coaches still in the mix include Jack Del Rio and Gary Kubiak, both of whom could be fired this off-season.

Of the playoff group, only Payton, Harbaugh and Whisenhunt have halfway decent reputations with the fans. I'm sure it's only a matter of time...

My point is that maybe these guys are just the victims of over-scrutiny. Maybe we're just magnifying a couple mistakes and ignoring all the good things they do. Maybe it's not their fault if the quarterback overthrows an open receiver or the left guard misses a key block.

Maybe we're focused on the wrong things.

Maybe they're actually doing a good job. Maybe they know about football than the talk show hosts and the columnists and you and me.

Because these are the guys who are going to decide the world championship in six weeks.

Some Fourth Quarter Mojo

2009-12-27T20:16:00.003-05:00

Wow. That game was excruciating. The Eagles looked absolutely awesome in the first half. They had 15 first half first downs. McNabb was way over 200 yards passing. Everything was right.

Everybody was getting excited about how explosive this team is. Before the game, my buddy Mike Lombardi told me he thinks the Birds are just like the Saints - explosive, but with a defense that's a bit shaky. And the Eagles looked just about that good into the third quarter.

And then.... nothing.

It was like they just shut down. Maybe Brian Dawkins said something on the Denver sideline. Maybe the notorisously streaky McNabb just hit a cold sttretch. Maybe they missed the injured Jamal Jackson a lot (this was definitely part of it).

Donovan completed just five of his last 16 passes. The Broncos made big play after big play. They killed the Birds on wide receiver screens. Tackling was sketchy again. Aye aye aye, this game was spiraling out of their grasp.

All of a sudden, everyone's nerves were frayed.

But this year's Eagles seem to have found some fourth quarter mojo. For the third time in their six game winning streak, they staged a fourth quarter game winning drive. When the Broncos had all the momentum, the Eagles rose up and and won the game. Jeremy Maclin made the huge sideline catch to put them in position for David Akers' game winner.

It isn't easy to have a whiplash-like momentum swing against you in the course of a game, recover and then turn it back around. That tells me something.

Hard to believe that two months ago everyone was talking about the Birds' inability to win close games. They've done it a bunch lately and it's another reason to get excited coming down the home stretch of the season.

A Very Brian Christmas

2009-12-24T15:31:00.002-05:00

A couple quick thoughts before Santa comes down the chimney.

You may have heard that the two Brians are returning this week - Dawkins in Denver orange, Westbrook in midnight green. I'm sure the Griffins' dog we'll be watching somewhere.

It'll be great to see them both back on the field, but I have to admit I'm not expecting a lot from either one.

First, Westbrook. The Eagles have said that they'll ease him back in, and everything points to exactly that happening. I'd be shocked if he had much more than eight touches. And if his performance earlier this season is any indication, he'll look a little rusty. The only time he really showed that ol' giddy up this season was in the first Redskins game, just before he suffered the concussion.

But I think it's okay if Westbrook looks a little pedestrian. The Eagles goal should be to get him ready to be fully unleashed by the second week of the playoffs. If they suddenly have an effective/explosive Westbrook, opposing defensive coordinators will be in significant trouble. Hopefully, we'll be talking about that down the road.

Now, Dawkins. It's going to be awesome to hear the reception he gets on Sunday. I can't wait; he's always been one of my faves and you just know it'll be an electric moment.

I was sad to see him go last Spring but not as angry as some. Tactically, I thought the Eagles made the right move; B. Dawk was a real liability in pass coverage, and Jim Johnson spent much of last season devising ways to hide Dawkins.

As for this Sunday, I can't figure out what's going to happen. This is just about the worst match-up in the League for Dawkins. The Eagles bring speed, speed and more speed to the table, which would seem to render him ineffective. On the other hand, he has always risen to meet a challenge, and so he just might do that again in his return to Philadelphia.

But don't be surprised if the Eagles speed burners go whizzing by him a couple times. It would be a bittersweet, watershed-type moment. If that happens, it'll be like the Eagles turning the page on the past and heading into an explosive future.

If it happens, it'll be crushing for us as Dawkins' fans. But if it happens, it'll be exhilarating to us as Eagles' fans, because it'll be yet another sign that these Birds are bound for glory in 2010.

Not Exactly What I Wanted For Christmas, But I'll Take It

2009-12-20T20:09:00.004-05:00

The Eagles played far from a great football game today against the 49ers, but even with a mediocre performance, 27-13 over a halfway (but not full-on) decent team is not too shabby in today's NFL.

But that said, they played like a young team. They played like this was a trap game and they were trapped.

It was far from a resounding performance - they looked a little full of themselves and little unfocused. (I think that's why Andy went for it on 4th and 1 from his own 29 in the first quarter. God knows I can't think of any other reason.) The most unfocused moment of the game was clearly Leonard Weaver's end of the first half argument with one of the Niners when the clock was winding down and the Birds were out of timeouts. Just a colossal brain fart and way out of character.

The whole game was Twilight Zone-ish. Because of the gargantuan snowstorm and the way the post-storm light fell on the stadium, it was almost spooky - like the game was being played in secret.

McNabb was... meh. Twenty-one out of 36, 308 yards, one touchdown, two picks. Was never really on target all day long. Yeah, it was windy, but he just didn't quite seem "on." And he might be getting a little obsessed with DeSean Jackson - understandable, but he forced a few times.

But they won. They won comfortably. They have five straight in the pocket. They clinched a playoff spot. If you can do that when you aren't at your best, that's probably a sign that you're a pretty good football team.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2009-12-20T09:39:00.003-05:00

I am giddy.

The holidays are here, I have some down time from the real job, it's going to be a very White Christmas and the Eagles are surging down the regular season stretch drive. I just moved six tons of snow off my driveway and I'm prepping for the Eagles' game with the Niners.

Things is good.

Let's just hope the Eagles aren't feeling this way. For the Birds, they have to overcome the temptation to feel good about themselves. They have to stay on the right side of the confident/overconfident line.

Some key things to watch today:

Will the weather be a factor? I don't think it will. It should be a clear day and the field should be in decent shape, thanks to the extra three hours before kickoff.

Can the O-line keep improving? San Fran put on a pretty fierce pass rush Monday night against the Cardinals, especially from the linebackers. Jason Peters has been playing very well the last couple weeks. Let's hope he avoids dings and keeps on mowing people down.

Will the Eagles tackle better than last week? Well, I can't imagine it could be worse. I think they'll bounce back. As a side note, why do you have to practice tackling? When you slam into the guy, put your arms around him - why does that require practice? It's a body slam combined with a hug. If you have the body slam part down, the hug should be easy.

Can anybody slow down DeSean Jackson? Finally, an easy one - No.

Enjoy the game, and be safe getting there.

Classic Game. Classic Game-winning Drive

2009-12-13T23:25:00.002-05:00

A classic drive. When the Eagles needed to come through in a huge NFC East battle - a game that was already shaping up as a classic - they put together a classic drive.

A championship drive.

12 plays. 91 yards. Seven minutes, 24 seconds.

Ball game.

The Eagles never had a 3rd down on this drive. They walked down the field. Against a team that has talent. Against a team that was desperate. Against a team that likes nothing better than to beat the Eagles.

When they had to, they rose up. They crushed the Giants. They took their will and crushed it. They (probably) won the division.

Here's The Drive that just might define this season:

1-10-PHI9	(13:12) L.McCoy left end to PHI 12 for 3 yards (J.Tuck, O.Umenyiora).
2-7-PHI12	(12:37) D.McNabb pass deep left to D.Jackson ran ob at PHI 32 for 20 yards.
1-10-PHI32	(12:05) (No Huddle) L.Weaver right guard to PHI 34 for 2 yards (M.Boley, O.Umenyiora).
2-8-PHI34	(11:30) L.Weaver left tackle to PHI 44 for 10 yards (B.Kehl, T.Thomas).
1-10-PHI44	(11:00) (No Huddle) L.Weaver right end to PHI 47 for 3 yards (J.Tuck, B.Johnson).
2-7-PHI47	(10:19) (No Huddle) D.McNabb pass short right to L.McCoy to NYG 43 for 10 yards (B.Cofield, D.Clark).
1-10-NYG43	(9:34) M.Vick at QB. (Shotgun) D.McNabb pass short right to B.Celek to NYG 39 for 4 yards (D.Clark). M.Vick handoff to L.McCoy who pitches to D.McNabb lined up at LWR.
2-6-NYG39	(8:50) D.McNabb at QB. (No Huddle, Shotgun) D.McNabb pass short right to L.Weaver to NYG 31 for 8 yards (M.Boley, B.Kehl).
1-10-NYG31	(8:07) D.McNabb pass short right to L.McCoy pushed ob at NYG 25 for 6 yards (M.Boley).
2-4-NYG25	(7:31) D.McNabb pass short middle to R.Brown to NYG 6 for 19 yards (M.Boley).
1-6-NYG6	(6:39) (Shotgun) M.Vick right tackle to NYG 1 for 5 yards (J.Tuck, B.Kehl).
2-1-NYG1	(5:54) D.McNabb at QB. L.Weaver left guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
(Pass formation) TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. D.McNabb pass to J.Avant is complete. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS.

The Eagles are 9-4. They have won four straight. They are in December, a month they own. They are rolling towards the post-season.

The players believe.

You should believe too.

Halftime at the G-Men: Big Plays, Bad Refs, and Hakeem Nicks' Hands

2009-12-13T21:51:00.003-05:00

What a wild first half - big plays, tons of excitement - but I'm more than a little nervous.

The Eagles have show the nation again that they are the best big play team in the NFL - DeSean Jackson, Sheldon Brown, Michael Vick - big plays have the Eagles on top. McNabb is nine for 15 for 142 yards and a touchdown.

On the flip side, ugg. The defense looks really ragged. They have given up 257 yards at halftime - 257! Bunkley and Patterson are getting blown off the ball by a Giants o-line that has been mediocre all season. Jacobs and Bradshaw are gashing them (89 rush yards so far). When Eli goes back to pass he has all the time in the world. Not the best half of defensive line play we've seen this season.

But wait - there's more! Quintin Mikell has had a colossally bad first half - two penalties and a missed tackle on Nicks touchdown catch and run.

That said, the first penalty on Mikell was awful. The refs (and I never say this) look like they are completely in the bag for the Giants - the no call on Celek in the end zone was unbelievably unconscionable. It clearly cost the Eagles four points because they had to settle for a field goal. And on the final play of the half, they should've had three seconds left after the fumble recovery, giving them a chance at a long Akers field goal. If I may use a technical football term, that's what we call a "first class boning."

Thank God Hakeem Nicks can't catch. And thank God for Sheldon Brown and DeSean Jackson.

Now, how about some defense?

Andy - King for Life

2009-12-10T05:14:00.003-05:00

The news that Andy Reid got a new three year contract extension was barely news. There have been times over the last year where some people thought that maybe Andy might not be the coach forever. But he has weathered those storms the same way he coaches the team - with resilience and a steady hand. And he's very likely going to be running the Eagles for the next generation.

At the end of this extended contract, Reid will be one of an exalted dozen coaches in the history of the NFL that have coached the same team for 15 seasons. And for everybody that says Andy doesn't get it done in February, two comments:

1. You're right.
2. At least the Eagles are living in the right neighborhood. They almost always have a shot at winning the Super Bowl. And this year is no exception. At some point, they'll break through. Or they won't.

But as my broadcast partner Kevin Reilly said last week, the Eagles have changed the wiring on the house while keeping the lights on - they've completed reloaded the roster with talent and are now poised for another multi-year run at or near the top of the league. Trust me, Andy's the guy you want running this for the next couple years.

It seems quite clear that he can have this job as long as he wants it. And when he doesn't want it, he can probably have a Bill Parcells-type football czar position.

So, we just may have another two decades - yes, 20 years - of Andy Reid. Really. The Eagles are Andy's world, and you're just bitching in it. The question is, will the haters still be beefing if and when the Eagles finally win the big prize? Or will a Lombardi Trophy change everything?

The irrational hate some people have for Reid makes me wonder.

Eagles beat Atlanta JV - time to believe?

2009-12-06T16:57:00.003-05:00

Wow. That Falcon roster sure is thin. The Eagles annihilated the Atlanta back-ups, 34-7. The Falcons were without four of their top offensive players - QB Matt Ryan, RB Michael Turner, WR Michael Jenkins and OG Harvey Dahl - and they just didn't have enough quality players to match up today.

And that points up an important point about the Eagles. Even when the Birds have injuries, they keep on coming. The next guy steps up and a lot of times he isn't great, but most of the time he gets the job done. The Eagles have been slapped with a lot of injuries this year, but they've overcome just about all of them. Sean McDermott has duct-taped together the defense so well that they almost pitched a shutout today.

I know Chris Redman stinks, but as Leonard Weaver just told me in a post-game interview, this is the NFL. If you let your guard down, teams will rise up and beat you. Hey - the Oakland Raiders beat the Steelers today. And the Birds - except for their Oakland game - have done a good job of taking care of business. Today, they never gave Atlanta a chance. They grabbed the lead early and romped. The Falcons (and their fans) threw in the towel after the Birds' end of the first half goal line stand.

And now, they're building confidence. You can say they still haven't beaten a good team, but these Eagles don't believe that. Look - I know the Falcons are horrendous and on the verge of going in the tank, but the Eagles don't care. I know the Eagles haven't been winning pretty, but the players don't care.

They are starting to believe in themselves. And in the NFL, that's big.

Something less than a picture-perfect shutout...

2009-12-06T14:24:00.003-05:00

Some quick thoughts at halftime:

- Great job by the defense on that goalline stand at the end of the half. The Falcons offensive ineptness helped, but that was still impressive.

- This game should be a blowout, but the Eagles' continuing red zone issues are killing them. They should've jumped out 28-0, but instead it was just 13-zip. They're down a couple key weapons, but this is getting a wee bit old.

- Chris Redman stinks. On our pregame show Kevin Reilly and I heard conflicting messages about Redman - "he's got a big arm" ..."he's really accurate" .. he's 'cerebral.'" Well, he might be smart, but he is not an NFL quarterback. He's playing like the insurance salesman he was for three years.

- Assante! Keep on hitting!

- For the second straight week, Brent Celek is having a rough game. Blocking? What's that?

- Eagles keeping Tony Gonzalez in check; two catches for 13 yards. I did not expect that. Good work by Macho Harris on him.

- Jason Peters is unlucky. He's got a neck and head injury, and with the NFL buckling down on players returning to games after getting whacked in the head, I'm guexsing he's done for the day. Just when you thought the O-line was coming together.

And in this corner...

2009-12-01T06:06:00.002-05:00

As I watched the game Saints-Patriots last night, I couldn't help but wonder: rather than go for young unknowns Ramzee Robinson and Geoff Pope when their defensive backfield got thin, should the Eagles have gone after Mike McKenzie and/or Chris McAllister?

I know McKenzie and McAllister (aging and on the downside of their careers) don't fit the profile of players the Eagles typically bring in in-season. And I know that it's possible that neither one of them wanted to come here. But was this explored?

Because both of them looked pretty good against New England. I went into the game thinking the Patriots had a big advantage because the Saints were banged up in the secondary. But McKenzie and McAllister know how to play and got them job done. They even made plays. They had a positive impact.

From here, it looked like they are just what the duct-taped together Eagles D could use.

By The Skins of Their Teeth

2009-11-29T16:47:00.002-05:00

Just win baby. Right?

The Eagles will get beaten up on talk radio this week for this performance against Washington. But remember this - they won. 27-24. Said so right there on the scoreboard.

There was plenty to not like about this game, and the Eagles really don't look very Super Bowlish right now. But I'm going to say it's okay. It might blow up in their faces at any moment, but, for now, it's okay.

Now, the preliminaries are done. The Eagles have lurched through the first phase of the season - the part in which your only job is to not get eliminated - and succeeded. There's a great bit of philosophy in John Feinstein's 22-year-old book Season On The Brink about the Indiana Hoosiers. Bobby Knight spent the first two months of the season trying to get his team "in position to get in position." All he wanted to do was keep improving and keep his chances alive.

Well, that's the job in today's NFL too. Keep improving. Don't get buried. Have a chance when the calendar turns to December. Check, check and check.

We'll focus on next Sunday's game in Atlanta over the next few days (and there's plenty to worry about - huge gaps in the defense, DeSean Jackson's concussion, whether the young 'uns will continue to mature, etc.). But in the meantime, the Eagles are 7-4 and in the playoff picture.

Now, the real job begins.

For Thanksgiving, a Crow Appetizer

2009-11-25T05:36:00.004-05:00

Could it possibly be true that Jeremiah Trotter has something left in the tank?

Certainly I didn't think so. Here's what I wrote about the Axe Man after his performance in the Raiders debacle:

And can people please give the Jeremiah Trotter thing a rest? He can't play. He. Can't. Play. He had one tackle, and it wasn't on Zach Miller's 86 yard catch and run for a touchdown. And it wasn't on Gary Russell's game-sealing catch in the last two minutes. There's a reason he was out of the league for 18 months.

But against the Bears (typically considered to be a tad better than the Little Sisters of the Poor intramural team), Trotter looked like he might've hopped into Doc Brown's DeLorean. That is to say, he looked a wee bit like his old self. He was very good against the run - the physical presence the Eagles have been missing most of the season. But far more importantly, he did well in pass coverage. In the 3rd quarter, he chased down Devin Hester (Devin Freakin Hester!) and prevented him from getting a first down. In the fourth, he tracked down and tackled Joe Forte after a short pass and run. He committed precisely zero Levon Kirkland impersonations. That's really all you want.

To those who know me well, this will come as no big surprise, but I was wrong. There. I said it.

So, as the family gathers for the Big Feast this week, I just want to acknowledge that I'm willing to start off by eating a little crow.

Eagles "Just Kept Bangin'"

2009-11-22T23:26:00.005-05:00

By the skin of their teeth. I can almost hear Rob Charry bitching about this win right now.

No, it wasn't pretty, and without Jay Cutler quarterbacking the Bears, the Eagles might just lose this game. Jake Delhomme probably would've won this game. But thank God for Cutler. He was truly awful tonight. It isn't easy to turn a plus-2 turnover differential into a loss, but Cutler did it.

After everybody spent the week talking about how the Eagles don't win games in the 4th quarter, that's exactly what they did. They did it with an 11-play, five-and-a-half minute drive that featured six passes and five runs. They did it by blocking a field goal attempt. They did it by getting a first down on 3rd and short with a bullish run by not-so-big Shady McCoy. They did it with smart clock management down the stretch (okay, maybe it was brilliant, but at least they didn't screw it up).

As Andy Reid just said in his postgame news conference, the Eagles "just kept bangin." They made mistakes. Things didn't always go their way, but they just kept working it.

On an NFL Sunday when the Steelers lost to the Chiefs and the Bengals lost to the Raiders, I'll take that. Because if this team can develop the character to win games like this, these last six games might be a little bit of fun after all.

At the half: Feel free to tackle somebody

2009-11-22T21:43:00.003-05:00

At the half, Eagles - 10, Bears -= 9.

This is getting a little dicey. The Eagles have played a very undisciplined first half - hideously bad tackling and two turnovers, both of which were DeSean Jackson's fault. The fumble was obviously on DJax, but on the interception, he's got to get inside the defensive back, not just get shoved out of the way. It was sloppy.

The tackling. Ugg. And now the defensive backfield is even more banged up - SHeldon Brown spent a big chunk of the fiurst half on the bench getting his sore hammy worked on, then Assante gets nicked at the end of the half. Can you win in the NFL if your corners are Dmitri Patterson and Ramzee Robinson? I think we're about to find out.

As for McNabb, he's 9 for 15 for 103 yards, a touch and a pick. Ehh. McNabb started hot, but has been a little erratic in the second quarter, throwing a couple of balls into the ground. Almost seven yards an attempt, which is neither good nor bad. The Eagles should be beating this team soundly, and the man who called this a "must win" game needs to have a big second half.

The Eagles need to be a lot more fundamentally sound in the second half. No more turnovers, better tackling. Simple. Just get 'er done.

Thank goodness Jay Cutler stinks.

That was then; this is now

2009-11-18T06:07:00.006-05:00

Sean McDermott's first season as Defensive Coordinator has not been easy. And he certainly knew it wouldn't be easy - he's filling mighty big shoes.

But he also couldn't have expected to have to deal with this many changes. Every coach knows the team he starts the season with is not the team he's going to end the season with. But McDermott has been faced with a ton of change. A ton. The defense he had back then is not the defense he has now.

Consider these two lists - my (somewhat casual) ranking of the Eagles top 18 defensive players at the start of training camp, compared to the top 18 at the end of last Sunday's Chargers game. I chose 18 because that's about the number of defensive players who generally see significant time during the course of the game.

Top 18 Defensive Players on August 1:
1. DE Trent Cole
2. CB Assante Samuel
3. DT Broderick Bunkley
4. CB Sheldon Brown
5. LB Stew Bradley
6. S Quintin Mikell
7. DT Mike Patterson
8. LB Akeem Jordan
9. LB Chris Gocong
10.S Quintin Demps
11. DE Juqua Parker
12. CB Joselio Hanson
13. DE Darren Howard
14. DE Victor Abiamiri
15. CB Ellis Hobbs
16. DT Trevor Laws
17. LB Omar Gaither
18. S Sean Jones

Top 18 Defensive Players on November 15:
1. DE Trent Cole
2. CB Assante Samuel
3. DT Broderick Bunkley
4. LB Will Witherspoon
5. S Quintin Mikell
6. DT Mike Patterson
7. S Sean Jones
8. LB Chris Gocong
9. DE Juqua Parker
10.LB Moise Fouku
11. S Dmitri Patterson
12. S Macho Harris
13. DE Darren Howard
14. LB Tracy White
15. DE Jason Babin
16. CB Ramzee Robinson
17. DT Antonio Dixon
18. DE Victor Abiamiri

Look at those two lists - eight of the 18 on the second list were not on the first list. In fact, four of them (Witherspoon, Babin, Robinson and Dixon) were not even on the team. Two others (Fouku and Harris) were largely unknown rookies.

They are now relying on players that they didn't expect to be relying on. Again, every team has to deal with this to some extent. But the Eagles have been very unlucky on this front. NFL teams have to survive in the faces of these situations, but at some point you have just been forced into too many changes and it stops working.

Are the Eagles at that point? If they aren't there yet, they're damn close. Jim Johnson would've had a hard time working with this situation; can Sean McDermott?

We'll find out soon.

Scrambling Eagles can't stop Chargers

2009-11-15T20:15:00.002-05:00

You have to hand it to the Eagles for the way they keep fighting, but they just can't overcome the injuries. That was apparent in today's 31-23 loss to the Chargers.

Yes, the red zone offense was crushingly bad and the defense still can't get off the field when it needs to. But the injuries were a big part of that.

By the middle of the second half, the Eagles were without three of the their top four cornerbacks - Ellis Hobbs (neck) and Joselio Hanson (suspension) were on the shelf before kickoff and then Sheldon Brown hurt his hammie. You just can't overcome that. You just can't. Especially when you began the game with three linebackers starting in new positions. The back seven on defense is in complete fire drill mode.

On the other side of the ball, the Eagles have to be frustrated that the football gods decided the $100 Million they spent on the o-line this off-season wasn't worth spit. Jason peters was deactivated pregame, meaning Herremans was playing a new position, Nick Cole was in a different spot, Stacy Andrews was thrust into a fulltime role. It's too much change. Too many people learning on the job.

It's killing them. And, yes, you can't absolve Andy Reid of poor time management (again). And you can question the play calling in the red zone.

But it comes down to execution. And when you have this many new players in this many new spots, it's just hard to expect them to come through.

Time to bring in MacGyver

2009-11-13T19:05:00.004-05:00

So, just how are they going to pull this off?

A depleted linebacking corp and a depleted secondary are not the two main ingredients you want when facing a surging, high-powered Lightning Bolt offense. But that's where the Eagles find themselves Sunday - thinking of bringing in Richard Dean Anderson and handing him duct tape, a paper clip and a pair of tweezers.

The injuries have been crushing to the Eagles linebacking corps this season. They have spent all season scrambling to fill Stewart Bradley's shoes. They have tried big guys and little guys, young guys and old guys, slow guys and fast guys. This weekend in San Diego, Chris Gocong is Mike backer number six for the season. Six!

So, for Sunday, Gocong will be in a position he's never played before. He has the size to do it, but on-the-job training is not a recipe for success in the NFL. With Akeem Jordan out, Will Witherspoon should be fine - if not better - as the WIL linebacker. And Moise Fouku - talented but, um.. raw - gets his second start at SAM.

The Eagles will probably play a lot of 4-2-5 defense, with Tracy White on the field a fair amount. Jeremiah Trotter .. oh, never mind.

Pray that Trotter doesn't somehow get in a situation where he's covering Darren Sproles. If it happens, this will result in a touchdown. Even if Trotter isn't on the field, a player like Sproles figures to give the Eagles fits. The secondary (more on that in a moment) will be focused on San Diego's lethal downfield passing attack, leaving the LBs to contend with Sproles circling out of the backfield. I don't like this when I've got three backers who have never played together as a threesome for a single snap; if you had said Opening Day that the Eagles would start Fouku-Gocong-Witherspoon at linebacker by mid-season. I definitely would've gone into full panic. In fact, I may be there now.

Behind this shaky, taped together group is a banged up secondary. As you know, back-ups (but frequent contributors) Joselio Hanson and Ellis Hobbs are out. This actually (wishful thinking alert) might not be as bad as it seems. Neither Hanson nor Hobbs were having an especially good season; both have had plenty of passes completed against them despite limited plays. But Dmitri Patterson has been banged up all year - is he healthy enough to be an effective third corner? And my biggest concern is Assante - he hurt his neck against the 'Boys. Nobody's talking about his recovery from that, so maybe it's okay. But maybe it's not.

Gulp.

As an Eagle fan, here's a happy note: Norv Turner is the one charged with orchestrating all this.

At the Halfway Point - Just Everybody Settle Down

2009-11-11T06:48:00.004-05:00

I know you're freaking out about the Eagles right now. And that's okay - they're certainly coming up a little short of perfect so far this season.

There was the unprofessional abomination against the Raiders. The shellacking at the hands of the Saints. Andy's challenge record rearing its head against the Cowboys.

People are screaming for Andy Reid’s scalp. They’re convinced Donovan McNabb is a bum. The Eagles stink and they aren’t going anywhere. This squawking tells me one thing –Thanksgiving is near.

We scream and yell about this every season. It really doesn’t mean that much.

Yes, there are some things we know and they drive us crazy, but we already knew those things: Andy Reid can’t win replay challenges. Donovan McNabb is inconsistent. They don’t run the ball as much as Angelo Cataldi wants them to.

So they aren’t the ‘72 Dolphins. But neither is anybody else. As I said on the Big Kahuna show Monday, I’ll bet anyone $100 that the Colts and Saints don’t meet in this year’s Super Bowl. The best teams in November are very rarely the best teams in February. I’d rather be the best team in February.

That doesn’t mean the Eagles will get to February, but they still have a chance. They need some things to go right. And, obviously, they need a few lucky bounces along the way. But they have potential (useless until you fulfill it). But, as a reminder, here are some happy thoughts:

DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, not separately, but taken as an entry.
LeSean
McCoy - not quite as good (yet) as everyone wants to believe, but he's' getting there.
Brent Celek - he's there. Has turned himself into one of the best tight ends in the game.
There's still time for the offensive line to jell (but they better do it quick).

The point is that the Eagles are a team that is still learning – Jackson and Maclin and McCoy and Celek are young, and the offensive line has barely had a chance to play together. We all think (at least I think we all think) that these young guys are going to make for a spectacular offense at some point. Will it happen this season? Maybe, maybe not.

So as you read all these halfway point Report Cards, bear that in mind. The grade is Incomplete. I find plenty of things that are troubling – after all, I dubbed this The Season of Bad Karma (some updates - Hobbs out for the season, Hanson out for 4 games after testing positive - suddenly the defensive backfield is pretty thin). Injuries along the O-line and the linebacking corps are my chief concerns; at some point, you can’t keep overcoming those injuries.

But we'll find out about that over the next few weeks. For now, let's keep an eye on the trouble, but the glass is stiill half full.

20-16, Bad Guys

2009-11-08T23:21:00.005-05:00

A classic NFC East battle. Not necessarily a work of art, but a classic. Lots of tough hitting. Lots of plays where an inch here on an inch there would've made a huge difference. Lots of players getting hurt, then toughing it out and returning to the game.

The bad news is the Eagles lost a winnable game; it'll sting for a while. The good news is they almost won without their A game.

In fact, McNabb was, at best, mediocre. Wild all night, missing receivers, failing to hit them in stride, throwing two picks (although Jeremy Maclin shares blame son both of them). He finished with a quarterback rating of 61.4 Just not good. There were some drops, but McNabb just didn't get it done when he had openings. As a result, the Eagles - the most electrifying big play team in the NFL this season - got zero big plays. They still went toe-to-toe with the Cowboys, but never made a play when they needed one. But still, they were there at the end.

But two ill-advised Andy Reid challenges cost them late. Their inability to get off the field defensively - the Cowboys were seven out of 14 on 3rd downs - cost them. The dropped balls cost them. Westbrook not playing cost them. And McNabb's subpar performance cost them.

At the half: Defense rules early

2009-11-08T21:59:00.002-05:00

Some halftime thoughts...

I thought this game would be an offensive show. Whoops.

Both defenses are looking good; the Cowboys pass rush is hurrying Donovan into throwing earlier than he wants and the receivers just aren't getting open. (DeSean Jackson... we're waiting.) The injury to Jason peters clearly didn't help. Interesting that Andy Reid stuck Todd Herremans out at tackle and kept King Dunlap off the field. Against DeMarcus Ware that's probably a good strategy.

For the Eagles defense, a great job so far stifling the Cowboys running game, which came in averaging almost 5.5 yards per carry. In the first half, the Boys ran it nine times for 27 yards - 3 yards per. But the Eagles must (must!) do a better job getting off the field on third down.

The Eagles had good balance on their 30 first half plays - 17 called passes, 13 called runs. Those 13 runs went for 70 yards. And - pretty obviously - the Eagles pass offense needs to step it up. McNabb is just six out of 14 so far. It'll be tough to amp up the aerial game if they can't protect better.

More to come post game....

Time to Get Tight

2009-11-06T07:25:00.005-05:00

Jason Witten kills the Eagles. OK, he kills most teams, but he kills the Eagles and that's all we care about here.

Then again, most tight ends seem to wreak havoc on the Birds. So far this season, tight ends have ravaged the Eagles. In seven games, opposing tight ends have 42 receptions for 515 yards and five touchdowns. That works out to six catches for 86 yards a game. It's too much.

Here's what really makes me crazy - it isn't that the Eagles can't cover tight ends; it's that they won't. They just don't seem to spend any effort on stopping the tight end. A lot of times, the tight end doesn't get touched coming off the line of scrimmage; that was definitely the case on a 20-yard completion to Kevin Boss last week, although Sheldon Brown seemed to be talking about that play when he said it was simply a blown coverage.

So, now, one of the best in the business comes to town - Dallas' Jason Witten, who so far this season has 37 receptions for 348 yards and one touchdown (only one!).

The Eagles are depending on two relatively new faces to control Witten - rookie linebacker Moise Fouku, who'll start for the injured Chris Gocong, and new starting safety Sean Jones. Jones is a veteran, but is more of a run support guy than a cover guy.

Not the best scenario.

I think tomorrow's night game is going to be a high-scoring one - the Eagles have the best big play offense in the League and Dallas has a lot of weapons. If the Birds can bottle up / control Witten, they will throw the rest of those weapons out of kilter. Witten is Romo's security blanket. He's the third down converter. Stopping him puts a big kink in the Cowboys game plan. I'd like to think the Eagles are going to slow down Witten tomorrow night.

If only there were some evidence that they could....

How the Eagles went deep on Giants, and how they'll do it again

2009-11-05T09:56:00.002-05:00

The Eagles torched the Giants deep on Sunday, and everybody agrees now that the Birds are the biggest big play team in the NFL. You can bet they'll attack the Cowboys shaky secondary this coming Sunday night.

How will they do it? I'm sure they'll try to do the same thing they did against the Giants. Here, thanks to the National Football Post's Andrew Brandt, is a great breakdown of how DeSean Jackson got wide open for a 54-yarder against New York.

Smokin' the Giants

2009-11-01T16:57:00.003-05:00

Who saw this coming?

Everybody expected the Eagles / Giants to be close, but the Birds rampaged past the Giants, 40-17 in a game that was never close. Here's what caught my eye:

Donovan McNabb was the sharpest he's been all season; 17 for 23 passing for 240 yards and three touchdowns. But forget the numbers and consider what your eyes showed you. Donovan was razor sharp, hitting receivers in stride almost every time. His accuracy was pinpoint. He drilled the ball into receivers when the window was tight. Rest easy; the mid-season slump is over.
A brilliant move by the coaching staff to get Leonard Weaver involved in the running game. He had eight carries for 75 yards and a 41 yard TD run. Weaver getting the ball was clearly a surprise to the Giants. Not only did it catch New York flatfooted, but it prevented them from teeing off on Shady McCoy, who's blocking remains a little shaky (not today, the game plan with Weaver made it a non factor).
How about all those big plays - Samuel's interception and return, Weaver's TD run, McCoy's 66-yard TD, DeSean Jackson's TD bomb from Donovan and then the great end zone catch by Maclin. That's five big plays. This team's got some skillz.
Eli Manning was awful. He was wildly off the mark all day, missing receivers by as much as two or three yards. Even the TD pass to tight end Kevin Boss was a horrific throw that Boss made a great play on.
The Giants look like they miss defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. A lot. They have some injuries, but that defense was supposed to be waaay better than it was today.

I'm left thinking that the Eagles might just be as good as I thought they could be; this was a great performance against a team that should have been desperate. I'm also left thinking that the Giants - who have a lot of talent - might not be that good.

Head Games

2009-10-30T06:25:00.005-04:00

It seems extremely unlikely that Brian Westbrook, fresh off having being kneed in the head against the Skins, will be able to play Sunday against the Giants. Westbrook sat out practice again Thursday.

That's a major tactical disadvantage for the Birds. LeSean McCoy, despite our best hopes in the preseason, can't really block a lick, and that is hurting the offense. Plus, B West was showing signs of his old self lately; with him healthy, the Eagles could be as dynamic an offense as there is in the league.

But that said, it's better for everybody if Westbrook sits this one out. It's becoming increasingly clear that coming back too fast from a concussion crosses the line from toughness to stupidity.

Yes, we're all rabid football fans. And we especially love the big hits. But you have to step back sometimes and wonder whether the game has gotten out of hand. Malcolm Gladwell recently compared football too, gulp, dog fighting. In his piece, he tells a terrifying story about former Rams and Saints lineman Kyle Turley.

A couple yeyars ago, my broadcast partner Kevin Reilly took me to an Eagles Alumni brunch before one of the Birds games and I met a lot of players from my youth, which was a great treat. But the thing that sticks out more than anything is meeting a former player who was about 40 at the time. I would've sworn he was a 70-year-old man, from the way he looked, the way he talked, the way he sat in his chair. It was shocking.

The Giants game is going to be extremely tough without Westbrook. But the Eagles owe it to him to sit him out.

Time for Shady to learn to block.

A work in progress. Maybe.

2009-10-28T07:03:00.004-04:00

So, should we throw in the towel for this season after two mediocre performances?

I know you're freaking out about the offense. Everywhere I go the last 48 hours, that's what I hear: We stink. McNabb's terrible. Westbrook's done.

Well, yes. You're right. All those things are true right now.

But, consider this:

Last season, Max Starks struggled all season at left tackle for the Steelers. He was seen as a huge liability for the team. They won the Super Bowl.
Last Thanksgiving night, the Cardinals got absolutely destroyed on national TV and looked like they didn't care. They went to the Super Bowl.
Two years ago, the Patriots were scoring about 50 points a game. They did not win the Super Bowl.
Back in October of 2000, the Ravens went the entire month without scoring an offensive touchdown. They went on to win the Super Bowl.

My point is that the Eagles offense - certainly herky jerky right now - is a work in progress. There are a lot of new pieces that haven't played together much because of injuries. There are a lot of young players just learning how to be professionals.

History shows that McNabb always has this kind of stretch, where he throws the ball into the ground, seems oblivious to receivers galloping uncovered and commits an egregious faux pas because he's ignorant of the rules. But then, usually, he comes around. Remember, the man had a broken rib a month ago.

Jason Peters needs to be more consistent. Shady McCoy needs to block better. Westbrook needs to get healthy.

But all the Eagles need to do right now is not fall out of contention. Of course, this is completely contrary to my last post about the Season of Bad Karma. The point is that right now, we don't know. We're in the great big middle of the season; the guys on TV are telling you who's great and who's not, but it doesn't matter what is true today. What matters is the truth in February (if you're lucky enough). I have very little interest in being the best team in the NFL on Halloween. They don't hand out trophies then.

So hold on tight. Continue to scrutinize. But you don't have to give up hope just yet.

Season of Bad Karma

2009-10-26T06:19:00.003-04:00

Tonight against the Skins, the Eagles will roll out their fifth starting middle linebacker of the season. Stew Bradley, Joe Mays, Omar Gaither, Jeremiah Trotter and now Will Witherspoon. My God, this is a bad sign.

Before training camp started, there were plenty of reasons to be bullish on the Eagles. Lots of young weapons for the offense. A rebuilt offensive line, featuring Jason Peters and a healthy Shawn Andrews, potentially the best tackle tandem in the league.

Ha!

But starting with Westbrook needing surgery in July, then Bradley getting hurt, then Mays being - who knew? - too small, then the Vick signing and subsequent convulsions, then McNabb getting hurt, the ongoing Kevin Curtis injuries, Gaither coming back then getting hurt again, Andrews going completely flakey and not recovering from back surgery, Stacey Andrews' achy joints, and a million other little pieces... the Eagles have had way too much bad news (not to be confused with Bad Newz). The scary thing is I left out a lot the bad news in that last run-on sentence.

This is a lot of bad news to overcome when you're trying to win the Super Bowl.

Thankfully, I think, the hideously dysfunctional Redskins are up tonight.

The Redskins are in well-publicized turmoil. Jim Zorn is still the coach only because Dan Snyder couldn't convince anybody else to come in and coach the team now. The offensive play caller was, literally, calling Bingo games in Michigan two weeks ago. Their leleft tackle is done for the year. It appears that Jason Cammpbell's biggest problem is lack of talent, not just the revolving door at offensive coordinator.

But the Eagles have struggled against the Skins in recent years, losing twice last year in games that were not only ugly, but boring. And Donovan McNabb seems to have started his annual funk; how long will it last? We never know. But when he's' in one, the Eagles typically look like one off the worst teams in the league - remember last year's' Ravens-Bengals exacta.

So, the Eagles should annihilate the Skins. But they won't. I think they'll win, but the type of victory you turn up your nose at - not something to be proud of.

So the Birds will win ugly tonight, and then we'll spend the next six days talking about how terrible they are and how there's no way the Giants can lose three in a row.

Witherspoon new Mike backer

2009-10-20T19:35:00.002-04:00

As you know by now, the Eagles sent Brandon Gibson and a 5th round pick to the Rams for veteran Will Witherspoon at the trade deadline today.

Witherspoon will start in the middle. Omar Gaither is banged up, and for whatever reason, the Eagles coaches don't want him to be their starting middle linebacker. And as I have said on several occasions, Jeremiah Trotter doesn't have it any more. He's a one-dimensional player in a three dimensional league. He had a great career and he'll always mean a lot to Eagles fans, but he is over the hill.

Witherspoon is a veteran presence on a defense that could use a little of that, and he's familiar with the Birds' style of defense, having played for Steve Spagnuolo with the Rams.

But Witherspoon does not fill the void left by the ghost of Trotter Past. He's not a knee-buckling hitter. He is a good versatile backer, who's especially good against the pass. So... it seems like this is an upgrade but we'll have to see how he fits in with the other personnel and how it impacts the scheme.

Is Andy the NFL's worst game manager?

2009-10-20T19:12:00.002-04:00

NFL guru Mike Lombardi is a guy I have tremendous respect for. He learned at the knee of Bill Walsh in San Francisco. He worked with Bill Belichick in Cleveland. He was the GM in Oakland when they went to the Super Bowl. Nobody else in the NFL media brings his insight, so when he says something, we should all listen. This evening at National Football Post, he rips into Andy Reid, bestowing the official title of "Worst Game Manager in the NFL" on him.

Ouch.

Hard to write a headline without swearing

2009-10-18T20:02:00.003-04:00

Wow.

How does that happen?

A 13-9 loss to the hapless, disorganized, unprofessional, JV Raiders. As I wrote earlier this week and said on the radio this afternoon, the Eagles just needed to do their Bruce Springsteen impersonation -show up and be professional. Like the Boss, you need to pour your heart and soul into every performance.

The Eagles failed miserably. They failed because they weren't ready to play. If you come out and perform and get up on Oakland, they fold. But the Eagles started slowly and never picked up the pace.

The offensive line was awful - six sacks! I find it hard to believe that Jason Peters on one leg isn't better than King Dunlap. Dunlap got used. The entire o-line just got crushed.

The coaching staff was completely ill-prepared for a Raiders blitz; granted, Oakland blitzing was a rarity this season, but the Birds just completely whiffed. The inability and/or unwillingness to run the football has made them completely predictable anfd the Raiders just teed off on McNabb.

And speaking of the coaching staff, if the offense is struggling, why not try the Wildcat?!?! The Eagles use it to make plays; they weren't making any plays, but still they didn't utilize the offense they've been playing with all season.

Nobody made plays - 2 for 16 on third downs! Six dropped passes!

And the defense couldn't get off the field. I know they only gave up 13 points, but the run defense was terrible.

And can people please give the Jeremiah Trotter thing a rest? He can't play. He. Can't. Play. He had one tackle, and it wasn't on Zach Miller's 86 yard catch and run for a touchdown. And it wasn't on Gary Russell's game-sealing catch in the last two minutes. There's a reason he was out of the league for 18 months.

I thought the Eagles were well-positioned to make a big run this season; now, you have to wonder. The loss doesn't doom them in the playoff race; there's still a long way to go.

But you have to wonder if they have it in them to overcome the weaknesses that were exploited in this game. It ain't good.

Let The Wild Rumpus Start!

2009-10-16T20:13:00.003-04:00

By all accounts and from all angles, the Eagles should rampage on past the pitiful Oakland Raiders this weekend. Oakland's coaches are beating each other up, their quarterback is fat and doesn't care, and 2/3 of the three headed running back monster are injured and won't play.

The Raiders are epically awful. Not even Max, King of the Wild Things, could tame them and get them going in the right direction.

If the Birds are professional, they'll win. But they have to stick to the "Born to Run" theory.

With that in mind, some things to watch:

1. The O-line. Can we get a little sumpin sumpin goin' on in the run game? It'd be nice to see Andy Reid dial back the Spread Eagle offense a touch and practice (because that's what this game is - practice) running the ball out of a traditional set. Ya know, so we can find out if the line can do the job.

2. DeSean Jackson's bounce back. Actually, I wouldn't hold my breath. Oakland's only good player is cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha; he can shut down Jackson. He can shut down anybody.

3. Jeremiah Trotter. We're waiting.

4. Brian Westbrook. We're hoping.

5. Sean McDermott's game plan. Will he unleash the hounds on JaMarcus Russell, or will he keep some of his more intricate schemes on the shelf, figuring that he doesn't need to throw the kitchen sink at Russell to win the game? Based on his short history as coordinator, I think they have the pedal to the floor, trying to make Russell make mistakes. If the Eagles go all out, it could make for an interesting comparison with the Giants D, which annihilated Russell and the Raiders last week, sacking him six times, forcing three fumbles and shutting out Oakland.

As long as the Eagles don't go into the game thinking it'll be a cakewalk, it'll be a cakewalk. Attitude when they take the field is key.

Let the wild rumpus start!

Time to Be the Boss

2009-10-14T06:23:00.006-04:00

Let's talk about the Boss. Not Kevin. I mean Brooooooce.

I said this on Countdown to Kickoff before Sunday's game with Tampa Bay, but after attending last night's AdrenalineFest at the Spectrum (that's the Bruce Springsteen concert for those who weren't there), I'm saying it again - the Eagles are in a Born to Run month.

The concept comes from the great Mike Lombardi (NFL guru and crazy Springsteen fanatic). Mike points out that even though Bruce has played his biggest hit well over 5,000 times in the last 35 years, he still plays it every night with everything he's got. He never half-asses Born to Run. He pours every little bit of his heart, soul, body and talent into it. Every night. That is to say, he comes to play. As he bellowed into the mike last night - "the E Street Band has come to keep our solemn vow to ROCK THE HOUSE."

(My two word review of last night's concert at The Spectrum: Hol-ee Shit!

My slightly longer review: It was flabbergastingly good. I have no idea how a group of 12 people pours that much talent, adrenaline, cohesiveness and fun into three hours. Even with 18,000 back-up singers who provide a ton of support and know every note, it's purely amazing. I've seen Springsteen about a dozen times, and this was the best. The venue, the band, the crowd. The energy, the music, the joy. The band played the Born to Run album start to finish, and it was just astonishing. Jungleland was the most emotional thing I've ever seen at a concert. I looked around during Clarence's sax solo at the middle-aged crowd and it was like they were all lost in prayer, remembering the great moment in their teenage life when they first heard these sounds, reflecting on how Springsteen's music literally changed the course of their lives. There were a lot of tears in eyes when they finished. It took everybody - the band and the crowd - about three songs to pull themselves back together. And then it was full throttle again. Whew.

Now back to the National Football League.)

The Eagles are in the Wednesday-night-in-Des-Moines part of their schedule. This month they've got the Buccaneers, Raiders and Redskins. Three flavors of yuck. It'd be relatively easy to take a this-is-good-enough-to-win approach to this month's slate of games and still head into November 5-1. The Eagles do not have to be great to win these games. But make no mistake - this is when set themselves up for that last chance power drive. This is the month when they will set their course, even if it isn't apparent to us outside observers.

What we know about the Eagles so far this season is that they have tons of talent and potential.

But will they become great? Will they keep pushing and pushing and pushing? Will they settle for good, or will they collectively realize that good is the enemy of great, and take the risks and do the work to reach a different level? Will they hold each other accountable and boost each other up? Will they commit?

When you go to a Springsteen show, it's hard to take your eyes off Bruce. But last night, as the original E-Streeters rumbled through the Born to Run album, I couldn't help but notice Nils Lofgren. He's probably the best musician in the band (arguable), but he wasn't with them when they recorded the Born to Run masterpiece. So last night, for about 45 minutes, Lofgren stood near the back of the stage, strumming a little but really nothing more than a bit player.

After Jungleland, with everybody in a bit of a fog, the show needed a spark. Lofgren stepped up with a blistering solo on Because the Night, the crowd worked back to a frenzy, and from then on it was a full out sprint. For an hour.

That's part of being a team too. Stepping back, stepping up. So when the Bucs doubleteam DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin steps up. Some are trying to create drama around Jackson's low output day, but that's just silliness.

That's how a team works - trusting each other, catching each other when they stumble, sacrificing for each other.

It's all just part of a team working on a dream.

McNabb back and rolling

2009-10-11T16:48:00.003-04:00

Donovan McNabb's final line for the 33-14 win over Tampa Bay - 16/21, 264 yards and 3 TDs. He also carried twice for 30 yards. While it seemed like no one was paying much attention to McNabb's return from injury, he came back and dominated. Running, passing, leading. A super efficient performance - and this from a guy who was not always efficient.

He is the one who orchestrates this offense best. The Bucs took away DeSean Jackson, and McNabb worked it to Jeremy Maclin, who set an Eagles rookie record with 142 receiving yards.

And, honestly, it was really the first chance we've had to see McNabb running this offense. He barely played in the preseason and didn't get all the way through the season opener before getting hurt. To see him spread the ball around between Maclin and Jackson and Westbrook and McCoy and Celek was a thing of beauty.

Granted, the Buccaneers didn't put up much of a fight, but McNabb came back and didn't look rusty at all (okay - maybe on a couple early throws. But still). This Eagles offense is crazy young in a lot of spots and still coming together and even though the competition wasn't great today, they are rapidly approaching some scary potential. If they're hitting on all cylinders by the time we hit November, look out.

So on a day when Jeremy Maclin broke out, Trent Cole was an animal and Jeremiah Trotter quietly returned, Donovan McNabb stood out.

And that's good.

The Return of 5

2009-10-09T09:09:00.002-04:00

Everybody is obsessed with Jeremiah Trotter's return to the Eagles and the impact he will have. Well here's a guess - not that much. Let's face it: at this point, the Axe Man is a borderline NFL player. If he wasn't, he would not have been out on the street. His value to the Eagles is probably more than it would be for any other team in the league, but the reality is that he just isn't going to play that much. And by the way, the concept of "running downs" is silly in today's NFL - any team will throw on any down-and-distance - especially if they see an old less-than-mobile linebacker in the game.

And believe me, I'm a Trotter fan. He's been a great asset to the Birds for a long time. But it's a young man's game.

But while we get all excited about Trot, it seems no one is talking about Donovan McNabb's return from a busted rib. You know McNabb - the guy who runs the offense? The guy some folks thought was primed for an MVP season? The guy who's really good at spreading the ball around? The guy who - for the first time - has world-class weapons surrounding him? (And yes, the guy who gets an upset tummy in big moments.)

Over the next powderpuff month, McNabb will get a chance to work with all of this very skilled group of players - something that did not happen in preseason. Consider it extended preseason. If things go well, the Eagles offense should be in high gear by the time November rolls around.

I don't expect McNabb to be perfectly healthy or perfectly accurate this weekend against the Bucs, but it'll be a start.

Does October mean anything?

2009-10-06T06:27:00.004-04:00

Finally - I'm back from the bye! Thanks, I know you missed me..

As we return, the Eagles are embarking on a weird October; if things go smoothly, they'll spend most of the month under the radar, a pretty unusual occurrence for this team. With the Phillies (hopefully) launching in to a long post-season run, they'll get plenty of attention, taking ink (figuratively) away from the Eagles.

And then there's the competition - Tampa Bay, Oakland and Washington. This stretch rivals Penn State's cupcake start to the season; rarely does an NFL team get to play three dogs like this. And what that means is that, while the Eagles have been extremely interesting off the field so far this season, what happens on the field this coming month will be largely devoid of drama.

That doesn't mean talk show geniuses won't try to invent some drama. And it doesn't mean that what happens over the next three weeks doesn't set the course for the rest of the season.

But the only goal of the first half of the NFL season is to not fall out of contention - teams can be eliminated in the first two months, but no one wins a championship in the first two months. Given their schedule and their current 2-1 record, it is almost impossible for the Eagles to fall out of contention. I expect them to be 5-1 on Halloween, and anything less will be disappointing, but it really won't mean anything.

That's not to say it won't be very interesting watching Andy Reid work Vick into the offense without ticking off McNabb, seeing if Jeremiah Trotter has anything left or is simply the second coming of Levon Kirkland, and wondering if Winston Justice will continue to get the job done.

But regardless of how those questions are answered, the answers can change before the stretch run. This is all preamble.

The real fun begins at 4 p.m.on November 1. That's when the Giants (likely undefeated) come to the Linc. That game will mean a little something.

What Trotter means

2009-09-29T05:30:00.002-04:00

In the press room (which is kinda like the bar in Star Wars, except everybody always seems depressed) before the Chiefs game Sunday, I was talking with some media folks about the old USFL. It doesn't matter how we got on the topic, but we were reminiscing about the Philadelphia Stars and all the talent they had.

I brought up the name Sam Mills. Remember him? Itty-bitty linebacker who turned out to have a really great career, first in the USFL, then in the NFL with the Saints and Panthers. Tremendous leader everywhere he went. Smart player who overcame his size to play 15 seasons of professional football.

We then drew the obvious comparison between Mills and little Joe Mays, the Eagles back-up Mike backer. Right now, it looks like being small for the position is the only thing in common between Mills and Mays.

If the Eagles really are serious about bringing back Jeremiah Trotter, and it seems they are, it's because they've decided Mays can't get it done. When you're small like Mills and Mays (and Mays is actually a little bigger than Mills, but the game has changed, too) you'd better be perfect.

There's the physical, forceful part of the position, slamming into gaps to stop the run. But more than that is the line-of-sight issue. The Mike linebacker needs to be able to see what's happening, figure out where he needs to get to, then get there. If you can't see because you're short and therefore have to guess where to go, it's not going to work out well.

Right now, it seems the Eagles think Mays simply can't play the position reliably well. They'd rather have a retired 32-year-old with achy knees who couldn't possibly make it through a whole season if he has to play a lot.

Notice I haven't mentioned Omar Gaither; I don't think this is about him - this is about insurance if Gaither gets hurt.

On the upside, at least it'll get Trotter off the radio.

Future's so bright...

2009-09-28T05:42:00.004-04:00

How 'bout them Baby Eagles?

Man, that was a young offense out there for the Eagles yesterday. Kevin Kolb, making his second start; Jeremy Maclin, his first; LeSean McCoy, his first; DeSean Jackson, in his second season(and by the way, I don't intent to make this a constant obsession, but I do find myself wondering how DeSean Jackson's groin feels this morning); Brent Celek in his first season as the full-time starter; Winston Justice, his fourth start.

And the youngsters played great. I know it was the Chiefs, but they shredded them.

Kevin Kolb proved to me the last two weeks that he is a starting NFL quarterback. I'm not willing to say yet that he's the next coming of Tom Brady, but he was in control, he was decisive and he was accurate. That's a big part of the job description. The numbers were tremendous - 24 out of 34, 327 yards and two TDs, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 300 yards in each of his first two starts - but (sorry, Sports Jerry) I don't think we need to be talking about Canton just yet.

The highlights were Kolb's two long TD passes - the first featuring the cartoonish speed of Desean Jackson as he zoomed away from the bad guys, the second featuring the brute strength and determination of Celek - but the play that made me jump out of my seat was McCoy's 14 yard run in the first quarter. He proved to me on that play that he can truly be something special, a worthy successor to Brian Westbrook. On the play, Shady was in traffic, stuck his left leg in the ground, and cut 90 degrees to his right without slowing down. It was a startling change of direction. If you change direction like that in the NFL one of two things will happen - you'll either play in a few Pro Bowls or snap a few ligaments.

McCoy finished with 20 carries, 84 yards and a touchdown. With Brian Westbrook increasingly nagged by injuries as he enters running back old age, I expect McCoy to play close to a 50-50 time split at running back. At the very least, it makes sense to go easy on BWest and save him for later this season.

But, yes, I liked what I saw from the kids. They can play in this League.

At least they can when the competition is the Chiefs.

What Does Vick Mean For Offense?

2009-09-26T20:58:00.003-04:00

Well, quite honestly, I don't know.

I really don't remember a September where everything was as big a mystery as this one is. It is fascinating, but it is still very much unknown. I usually have a decent feel for where things are headed right now, but, honestly, I still feel like this could go in any direction - an unmitigated disaster, or the Super Bowl.

So as Mike Vick prepares to make his return to regular season football, it's hard to know what to expect. But it's fair to say that the results of a Kevin Kolb-led offense with a sprinkling of Vick won't be the same as a Donovan McNabb-led offense with a sprinkling of Vick.

But here's a guess - I think you'll see plenty of Vick tomorrow and I think he'll make a positive impact, maybe even a spectacular play or two. Expect Andy and Marty to let Vick air it out once or twice, just to show that he can. And if he can get on the edge against a shaky Chiefs' defense, well, you know.

Vick can obviously have success running the ball, but does it translate to team success? That is the major question facing the Eagles.

Vick ran a lot in his last season with the Falcons, gaining more than 1,000 yards. Some folks have pointed out that that wasn't a very good Falcons team, so therefore Vick running must not work. However, as the always rock solid IgglesBlog pointed out, the problem wasn't Vick running; it was Vick throwing. He completed less than 50% of his passes in their losses in 2006.

But the Eagles won't be counting on Vick to be an efficient passer.. just a dynamic one. I still think this can work. I have concerns about the Eagles getting too wrapped up in trickery and losing any semblance of being able to play physical offensive football. But if they can harness all the speed they have (and keep it healthy), it can work.

We're just not going to really be able to tell what's going to happen based on tomorrow's game with Kansas City.

Trotting backwards in time

2009-09-24T19:04:00.002-04:00

So, the Eagles have confirmed that today they worked out former Mike linebacker Jeremiah Trotter. Wow. What does this mean?

Are they seriously bringing Trotter, who hasn't played in more than two years, back to the roster? Can he possible have anything left? Are the Eagles really building a stunningly great roster... for 2005?

I suppose it's possible that two years off of his achy knees has been good for Trotter and that he can be a servicable back-up. And he could certainly provide some lockerroom leadership, but only if he can play. Just because the fans and the talk show hosts think of him as a leader, doesn't mean that anyone who arrived on the team after 2007 thinks that way about Trotter. If they don't respect you as a player, you can't lead. So the leadership angle doesn't work in a vacuum.

But please don't think he's going to be a true game-changer. The fans who have pined for Jon Runyan and will now pine for Trot are living in the past.

Somewhere, Duce Staley is staring at his cell phone, waiting for it to ring.

Vick loves Philadelphia

2009-09-24T05:37:00.002-04:00

As I have said, I'm in the "Mike Vick deserves a second chance" camp. Apparently, so are most Philadelphians - Vick said yesterday on the Eagles' website that he loves Philadelphia:

“Philadelphia is a great city,” Vick said in a live interview with the team Web site this morning. “I’ve been embraced everywhere I’ve been. People have been accepting me with open arms. It’s a remarkable feeling after going through what I’ve gone through the last two years and the type of publicity I’ve received and all the things that have happened.”

Vick said he tries to be prepared to deal with fans unwilling to give him a second chance.

“You never know how people are going to react,” he said. “I understand people out there that are upset and I understand why. My thing is to try to reconcile. I have said I’m sorry for what I did and I continue to feel that way from the heart. I just have to do the right things and stay on course.”

“Deep down inside, I know am truly remorseful for what I did. I’m the only one who has to deal with that. I’m the only one who has to lay down at night and beat myself up over it.”

Vick lauded the help he has received from the Eagles’ offensive staff to get to this point in terms of football. He said he was at about 85 to 90 percent, up from 70 percent in his preseason debut. He said the coaches have not told him his role.

“We’ll come up with something. It’s to be determined,” he said. “I’m excited about that. I’m going to be ready. I’m going to be dressed out. Whenever my number is called, I want to go out and do what I can to the best of my abilities.”

Vick’s role in the Wildcat adds another dimension because he can both run and pass from the formation, as he did with the Falcons. Vick ran for more than 1,000 yards -- a record for a quarterback -- with the Falcons in the 2006 season.

“You can’t just be one-dimensional in the Wildcat,” he said. “You have to create that balance so the opposition does noot know exactly what you’re going to do. It’s going to be critical. It has to be 50-50, 60-40, 70-30. You have to mix it up. That’s been key.”

Later, in an interview with reporters in front of his locker, Vick noted that the Falcons' Wildcatesque option offense lost steam as the season progressed; teams adjusted their defenses to stop it.

"I thought it was the best thing smokin', and it really helped our football team reach a certain plateau," he said. "Down the stretch, it kind of wore itself out and wasn't as productive as it was the first half of the season. It can be a part of your offense, but not a major part of your offense. I think you've just got to throw it in every now and then, but this league is too complex and too fast, and coaches are too smart, to line up and run it all the time."

Vick said he was so unhappy, on and off the field, that last year in Atlanta, he felt he was headed toward early retirement -- he said he didn't have a tangible plan to retire, but it was in the back of his mind.

"At the end of the day, I was just drained, mentally, physically and emotionally," he said. He said his time in prison and away from football renewed his appreciation for the game.

Vick said this is “as settled down as I have been in my life.”

“Having my family here, having my fiancé here and her family and the kids. This was a point I wanted to reach before I got incarcerated. I was trying to turn the corner a long time ago. Maybe it wasn’t time. I feel like things happen for a reason. I feel like I’m in this position for a reason. I’m at peace. I’m settled emotionally 100 percent.”

"Every day I wake up at marvel that I have this chance. The hard part is over with. Now it’s time to play football."

However, Vick emphasized he will continue his work in the community and it will continue beyond his football career.

"This situation has humbled and grounded me in so many different ways" he said. "I’m excited about what I’m doing in the community. I’m passionate about it. I’m excited to reach out to so many people and that they are gravitating to what I’m doing."

In addition to making another school appearance Tuesday, Vick appeared at a community center in North Philadelphia, speaking to a group of people that included men who had previously gambled on dogfighting.

"It was very important, just to have open dialogue and to see where their minds were at, why they're into what they're into, why they were doing it ... We talked about the reasons behind why it goes on in our culture, how we can put a stop to that, and try to help out in the communities ... I think a lot of people are starting to understand that it's pointless activity, there's no need for it., it's a dead-end street."

So now the self-proclaimed "Wildcat originator" gets to finally return to the football field when it counts. There are plenty of questions, most of which won't be answered this week. Unless of course the answers are "NO," in which the fans will have their answers. And, because of the controversy surrounding Vick, the fans may actually have a say in how much Vick is used. Despite Vick's apparent acceptance by the fans, Jeffrey Lurie still isn't going to give this experiment a whole lot of rope.

Westbrook - End of the Beginning or Beginning of the End?

2009-09-22T20:06:00.002-04:00

I have always said that when Brian Westbrook hits the end of the line, it'll be like a brick wall. No really, I've been saying this for a couple years - check the tapes. I haven't said this in an "I'm right" kinda way, just in a "let's enjoy this while it lasts" kinda way.

And now I'm afraid the good times are over for 36. Not over-and-out-down-with just yet, but I fear this is the beginning of the end. Westbrook has always put a lot of stress on his body, not just the pounding from the defense, but the straining, the twisting, the exertion. It's practically inhuman. It might not be all that different from other NFL running backs, but it is harsh on the body.

Westbrook hasn't looked like his old self this year. Part of it is oportunity. The Eagles have largely kept B-West under wraps the first two games - just 26 total touches; last year, he averaged 23 touches a game. But, when you watch him, you can tell that the old burst isn't quite there.

As Reuben Frank pointed out, Westbrook has gone eight straight games without rushing for more than 64 yards. That's mediocre.

And now, an ankle sprain. Maybe it's nothing. Maybe it's not. But it's another lower body injury, and those are the type of injuries that wear down running backs and reduce their career expectancies. Over the course of his career, Westbrook has had a reported 57 lower body injuries - knees, ankles, hips, feet. Some of them were bigger deals than others, some were no big deal. But that's a lot of hurtin'.

Westbrook might very well play Sunday against the Chiefs - God knows he's tough. And God knows that he's always played with a chip on his shoulder - he was doubted in high school, doubted in college and doubted in the NFL.

Now, here I am, doubting him again. Will he prove me, and us, wrong again. Let's hope.

Just take a deep breathe... then fix the offense

2009-09-20T20:16:00.003-04:00

Wow - not such a great home opener.

And not the quarterback's fault, despite what some of the callers to our postgame 5th Quarter said (one guy even called in to say the Eagles will never win until they get rid of McNabb - I pointed out that 5 didn't play).

Unfortunately for the Eagles, Drew Brees did, and I don't think there was any way to win this game with him playing at this level.

Kevin Kolb was fine in his first NFL start - and has any quarterback in NFL history ever thrown for 391 yards in his first start?

I thought Kolb was good - he was accurate, hitting receivers in stride and moving the offense. He seemed in control. A couple of late interceptions shouldn't be given that much weight (although he can't have a pick-6 every time he steps on a football field).

But the special teams were awful - five penalties, a fumble, and a boneheaded play by DeSean Jackson fielding a punt at his own three. Those mistakes cost the Eagles serious points. And Sav Rocca is one of the most inconsistent professional athletes you'll ever see - I literally don't know if he's going to kick the ball 70 yards or seven.

And the defense was also awful - never even slowing down the smoking hot Drew Brees. As we talked about on the 5th Quarter, it wasn't the same defense as last week; rather than the stampeding marauders we saw against Carolina, we saw a defense trying not to get burned, playing not to lose. The Eagles can't play that way.

But the most troubling situation is the way the offense is being operated and coached. If this was a one game experiment to see how many wacky plays they can call, then fine. If it's the way it's going to be, uh oh.

I'm with Phil Sheridan - the Eagles seem drunk on the Wildcat right now. The look like they're just completely head-over-heels High School in love with this mad scientist routine. The Eagles had 21 runs against the Saints, and one-third of them came out the Wildcat. Just 14 runs out of a "normal" formation.

Well, it's time to play some NFL football.

The Eagles have always flirted with horrifically bad pass-run ratios(okay, that's wrong - they haven't just flirted; in fact, they've been downright .. um.. easy when it comes to their lust for the pass) And Week 2's ratio was out of control - 54 passes, 21 runs. But that's obviously skewed by a first half 2 minute drill (which was good) and playing catch-up almost the entire second half (which was bad).

The breakdowns on special teams and defense can be addressed. They can be fixed. But if the Eagles are going to try to run this offense week in, week out, it'll end poorly.

Yes, the Eagles moved the ball well Sunday. But here's a key stat I haven't heard anyone talking about yet. The Eagles were in the red zone five times against a so-so Saints defense. They scored one touchdown.

That renders all those yards pretty meaningless. And it means it might be time to stop trying to reinvent offensive football.

Saints / Eagles - any guesses?

2009-09-19T15:12:00.003-04:00

While we ponder the fraying nature of the Andrew Brothers experiment, it's time to try to guess what's going to happen in the Eagles home opener against the Saints.

Week 2 is always hard to figure. Every season, some crazy things happen in the opening week, and it's hard to tell if those crazy things are:

- a sign of things to come,
- a simple matter of someone having a bad match-up, or
- a complete aberration that means absolutely nothing.

For instance, the Texans lost to the Jets last week, prompting everyone to jump off what had been a pretty crowded Houston bandwagon and proclaiming Mark Sanchez the greatest quarterback prospect since... well, I guess Matt Ryan. But will the Texans be mediocre again and will Sanchez lead the Jets to the playoffs? Nobody knows.

So - Eagles and Saints.

Both teams looked spectacular last week - the Eagles on defense and the Saints on offense. How much of the Eagles performance against Carolina was due to them, and how much was due to Jake Delhomme? The national press has focused on Delhomme's second straight nightmarish outing, but it never would've hapenned if Sean McDermott hadn't dialed up a fair amount of craziness. Will he do it again against Drew Brees and the Saints, and if he does, will it be effective?

Yes, and I don't know.

Brees lit up the Detroit Lions last week, but here are two key considerations - the Lions still stink, and they played a very vanilla defense.

The Eagles defense does not stink - in fact, it might be pretty good. And you know they won't be vanilla. As Omar Gaither said on last week's postgame show, Sean McDermott only used about 1/3 of the tricks he has up his sleeve in that game with the Panthers.

Brees might not be the guy you want to use the rest of those tricks on. He's hard to get to with pressure and hard to confuse with tricks. That makes this is a great test for McDermott. If he can keep Brees off balance, keep him guessing, the Eagles defense will make this a game. One thing I guarantee you is that the Eagles cornerbacks will do a better job on the New Orleans receivers than Detroit did - the Lions gave the Saints wideouts big cushions; the Eagles will be up in their face.

On the air, I've never been a big fan of Kevin Kolb - he's just never shown me much. I'm not saying he can't do it; I'm just saying that I've never seen it. But I do know that he's an accurate passer. And that, all by itself, gives him a shot.

Another thing to consider is the quarterbacks Andy Reid has coached through the years. There are a lot of successes on his resume - Brett Favre, Mark Brunell, Matt Hasselback, Donovan McNabb, A.J. Feeley, Jeff Garcia... even Koy Detmer. Big Red (almost) always gets good quarterback play.

I believe the Eagles should be able to move the ball against a mediocre Saints defense.

The last things to consider is Special Teams - the Saints were terrible last week against Detroit. Reggie Bush had a couple fumbles, they gave up some long returns, and, well, DeSean Jackson has to be licking his chops.

I think, even without McNabb, the Eagles will pull this one out. Call it 28-24, with Kolb getting a big boost from Special teams and/or the D. And then, we'll have a fun new twist on the never ending quarterback controversy...

Goodbye Big Kid

2009-09-16T19:08:00.002-04:00

Why so angry, folks?

I've been disappointed, but certainly not shocked, by the venom directed at Shawn Andrews since the Eagles placed him on IR yesterday. Sports talk hosts and callers have vilified Andrews for being soft, for being unmanly, for being a faker.

(By the way, I thought about making an allusion to John Updike's classic farewell to Ted Williams for the headline to this post - something like "Chub Bids Big Kid Adieu" - but I wasn't sure you guys would get it. Let me know if you do. Now, back to the column.)

I am completely unwilling to say that Shawn Andrews back doesn't hurt. I agree with the maxim that if an athlete says he's hurt, than he's probably hurt. I also agree that it is time for the Eagles to move on, to take away the question mark hanging over the team because Andrews has become unreliable. Taking him out of the locker room now allows the Eagles to move forward.

But I'm not angry at Andrews. I'm sad and disappointed. I'm sad that his career might very well be over. And I'm disappointed that we didn't get to see him in Midnight Green for a good solid healthy decade.

Andrews was talented enough to go to Canton - yes, he could've been one of the best offensive linemen ever. He's enormous, but he gets out on screens better than most fullbacks who weigh 100 pounds less than he does. A healthy 12 year stretch of Shawn Andrews would've ended with him in Canton wearing a size 54 Long ugly yellow sport coat and making a speech (probably a speech that would've made Tommy McDonald's look sane). I have very little question that he had that kind of talent.

Key word - had.

I can't imagine he'll ever reach that immense potential now.

Andrews' recent Youtube escapades have been embarrassing, and he just might be off his rocker. But I don't hate him for it, and I'm not angry about it. And I'm not angry that he suffered from depression last summer and I don't hold it against him.

But more than anything, I feel sorry for the Big Kid.

What will Garcia's role be?

2009-09-15T15:00:00.002-04:00

Are the Eagles just renting Jeff Garcia for a couple games as insurance? Or is he going to be here the rest of the season and is this the beginning of the end for Kevin Kolb?

GCobb thinks Garcia is going to play.

Big Kid done for season

2009-09-15T09:55:00.003-04:00

The Eagles have solved their jam-packed roster situation by putting Shawn Andrews on Injured Reserve. Placing Andrews on IR means he is done for the season... and maybe forever.

(It also means that the Eagles keep both Mrs. Baskett and Mrs. Garcia, which could create pandemonium.)

Andrews is an amazingly talented player, but his bad back may be bad enough to prevent him from every playing again. A 330 pound man with a bad back who gets hit for a living is never going to be able to last very long. I fear this is the end of the line. The Eagles won't say that now, but Andrews is now going to miss two full seasons. The odds of coming back are slim.

Let's hope Winston Justice can continue to play as well as he did in the opener.

Meanwhile, the Eagles roster is beginning to look like one of those word problems I struggled with in junior high math. They have four quarterbacks, seven wide receivers, and just eight offensive lineman. What does that add up to? Time will tell..

Garcia an Eagle again!

2009-09-14T17:25:00.003-04:00

In a bit of a surprise, the Eagles are bringing back Jeff Garcia to help get them over the Donovan injury hump at QB. They presumably made a play for AJ Feeley, but AJ is headed to Carolina. As anyone who watched the game yesterday could see, he might be starting for the Panthers soon.

Garcia was just released by the Raiders last week. Oakland coach Tom Cable said the team released Garcia only because the QB asked to be let go. Should we question his desire to play? Or is it just a sign that he's intelligent enough to realize that Oakland is a complete zoo?

As Kevin Reilly and I discussed last night on the Fifth Quarter on WYSP, Garcia is the type of player who wants to start - he'll be champing at the bit to play, especially if Kolb starts and struggles against the Saints. This puts a lot more pressure on Kolb to perform.

So now what? How do the Eagles clear a roster spot? They tried to trade Reggie Brown a few weeks ago, and I would guess they'll try again or just let him go. We'll know soon.

A little lunchtime reading

2009-09-14T11:46:00.002-04:00

Two articles Eagles fans should read, both from the Wall Street Journal.

The first is a good interview with Tony Dungy, Michael Vick's adviser; it offers insight into his relationship with Vick.

The second article is a good look ahead to what the Eagles will face next week against the Saints - details of Drew Brees mental and physical preparation.

Enjoy.

McDermott's Marauding Debut

2009-09-14T05:59:00.003-04:00

It seems silly now, how nervous we were waiting for Sean McDermott to fill the shoes of the legendary Jim Johnson. After a vanilla preseason, McDermott added plenty of spice yesterday in the Eagles dominating season opener against Carolina.

So before we apply our nervousness to Kevin Kolb's impending first NFL start and the wait for A.J. Feeley's cell phone to ring, let's talk about what McDermott cooked up.

Schemes that I haven't seen before - five defensive ends on the field at once. Six defensive lineman on the field together, two of them standing up in the middle of the formation. Blitzes that came from more angles than Pythagoras could've dreamed up.

But what is even more exciting for Eagle fans is the attitude. Bloodthirsty. Marauding. Joyously stomping on the corpse of Jake Delhomme's career. The Birds showed no mercy yesterday. Once they found their game legs, they never stopped chasing and pounding the Panthers, never stopped ball-hawking, never stopped trying to dominate.

Seven turnovers. Five sacks. Two goal line stands, including one in the final minute when McDermott put the starters back in to prevent the Panthers from getting a garbage-time TD. Even Assante Samuel - not exactly Andre Waters when it comes to tackling - delivered some big hits.

The attytood was right out of the Buddy Ryan era. As great as Jim Johnson's defenses have been for the last decade, they never gave off the aura of pillaging pirates. Yesterday, just for a day, aided by a crumbling opponent, McDermott's defense gave off that aura. Remember this great picture - about five Eagles surrounding the ball after Trent Cole forced that first fumble, deciding Abiamiri could pick it up and take the glory, no Panthers willing or able to get near them.

How much of it was the Eagles, and how much of it was the Panthers? To be sure, this was a combo platter. The Panthers fell like a house of cards, and Delhomme's career looks beyond salvage right now - 11 turnovers in two games. But the Eagles brought both innovation and attitude to the game, and they might, just might, be really good on defense.

It's only one game, and we'll find out a lot more when Drew Brees and the Saints get to town next Sunday. But for now, let's savor McDermott's Marauders.

The Autumn of Donovan

2009-09-12T08:20:00.002-04:00

On the eve of the season opener, let's talk about something that no one has really mentioned over this wacky Eagle summer - Donovan McNabb seems primed for a big season.

Certainly there are some ifs surrounding McNabb and the Eagles offense - will the offensive line ever play together? Does Shawn Andrews have his Michael Phelps on? Does Brian Westbrook have anything left in the tank? Will DeSean Jackson suffer through a sophomore slump? Can Jeremy Maclin beat press coverage?

But if those questions get resolved in even a mediocre way, I think 5 is ready for a big season. Think back to the 3rd preseason game - everybody focused on Michael Vick's debut and the "let's cut this crap out" gesture McNabb made, but Donovan ended up with pretty good numbers - he went 21 of 36 for 244 yards, a touch and a pick.

More than that, he looked completely in charge while doing it. After a shaky start, he made some great throws. While the O-line struggled, he kept plays alive with his feet. He moved well. He orchestrated the offense. As the game went along, you could see things coming together.

Donovan's been here a long time. He's been embattled for big chunks of that time. Some of the issues were media-driven fiction. Some were caused by McNabb's seemingly thin skin. And of course, there was his Blue Period caused by TO fallout.

Now (and this may be wishful thinking), it seems Donovan has matured. He seems more in charge, a little more comfortable in his own skin, more immune to the arrows that come with leadership. Despite the best efforts of sports radio, McNabb seems unthreatened by having Michael Vick around - the cut-this-crap-out-we-need-to-get-some-rhythm gesture wasn't borne of insecurity; it was an honest in-game assessment of how the Eagles offense was doing.

In the autumn of his career, Donovan knows the offense inside and out. He can make every throw. He can still make spectacular plays with his legs. He has a good team around him - one that hasn't gelled yet but that has explosive potential.

Right now, as I said the other day, the Eagles aren't ready for the season. And I say they lose tomorrow to the Panthers (23-17?). Unless McNabb pulls the game out of the fire - if they win, it'll be because 5 has a big game. Period.

And if so, it'll be a great start to what could be the Autumn of Donovan. Let's just hope it goes better than the Summer of George.

Shawn Andrews hurt again!

2009-09-10T15:01:00.001-04:00

How is this possible!?!?! Shawn Andrews is sitting out practice because his back is acting up!

Are the Eagles Ready? Ummm... No

2009-09-10T13:07:00.002-04:00

Here we go - the NFL kicks off tonight. Sunday, the Eagles begin the quest for Miami (to the geniuses hosting that mid-day sports talk show here in town - yes, the Super Bowl is in Miami this season) on the road against the Carolina Panthers.

Are the Eagles ready for the start of a season in which most experts consider them a Super Bowl contender? No - Not in my eyes.

At the end of July, I was extremely excited about the upcoming Birds season - I saw them as one of the top 2-3 teams in the NFC.

But August was not kind.

It seems the Eagles have more questions now than they did six weeks ago. About the middle of the defense. About the offensive line. About tight end. About Sean McDermott.

And about running back - something we haven't said 'round these parts in quite some time. But Brian Westbrook hasn't played a down this preseason and is coming off TWO lower body injuries.

We're used to him just showing up and being magical, but at some point that's going to stop. And when running backs in the NFL hit the end of their career, it is rarely gradual. It is a full-out, whiplash-inducing crash into a wall. Has Westbrook reached that wall yet? I don't know. But I'm worried that this is the season that he gets out on the edge, tries to turn on the afterburners and ... nothing. Let's hope not. He's telling folks that he's never felt this good for a season opener, so let's hope we aren't quite to the finish line with him.

Andy Reid's teams haven't exactly been fast-starters in recent years. In the last four seasons (call it the post-TO era), the Birds are just 7-7. I think this Carolina game is going to be a tough one - the Panthers like to pound the ball, and a team looking a little squishy at MLB and safety might not be up to playing smashmouth defense.

I think the Eagles have a lot of talent; they certainly have a team capable of rolling into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the league... but they can make it a lot easier on themselves if they come out of the gate strong. They might start fast, bt there are plenty of signs that make me a worried that it isn't going to happen.

2 Tight Ends, 7 Wide Receivers?

2009-09-09T11:57:00.002-04:00

I have a gnawing worry, based on history. Two years ago, not having a qualified punt returner cost the Eagles their opening game of the season. Last yeyar, not having a qualified fullback greatly hampered their short yardage running game, and cost them at least the Bears game.

This year, they're thin at tight end. And it could be a problem, especially in the first game or two.

Yesterday's signing of Alex Smith makes lots of sense - he's averaged around 35 catches a year in his four year career, and has the potential to do better than that. He's a good player to have on your team, especially as a back-up. But in signing him and releasing Tony Curtis, the Eagles still just have two players at the position, one of whom will be in his sixth day with the team when they play the season opener. What if starter Brent Celek gets banged up Sunday against the Panthers and the Eagles have to use Smith extensively? What if he doesn't completely know the offense? What if they need/want to go to a two tight end set?

Maybe the odds are against these scenarios, but the Birds have been burned playing this kind of roster roulette in the past? Why tempt fate? I would've kept Curtis - he's a pro who can do the job

Especially when you're keeping seven (7!) wide receivers on the roster. I know the Eagles want to hang on to Reggie Brown to see if they can get value for him in some kind of trade, but the tail is wagging the dog a bit here. Why take the chance?

I would've kept Curtis - he's a pro who can do the job. Keeping him as an insurance policy makes more sense than keeping a wide receiver who will not play.

To me the math is clear - a win in September is always worth more than a 5th round pick in April. Always. This isn't a huge gamble the Eagles are taking... but it is a gamble they've lost in the past.

Maybe, just a little traction

2009-09-08T09:01:00.001-04:00

I don't want to get too excited too soon, but I must be doing something a little bit right here because, this weekend, a friend of mine begged me to mention him on the EagleWonk blog. Either that, or he's just starved for attention.

I Want To Be A Macho Man

2009-09-08T05:42:00.003-04:00

Which former Virginia Tech Hokie will start for the Eagles in the season opener? No, not that one. It's rookie safety Victor "Macho" Harris.

I have to say that the naming of Macho Harris to be the Eagles' starting free safety was a big surprise to me. There were certainly plenty of folks who follow the team who thought Harris could be the starter at some point this season. But now, right at the start of the season? That comes up just short of shocking. We don't have any great insight from Macho since the promotion, just a post practice celebratory tweet.

How did we get to the point where the Eagles have a rookie starter in the secondary? A quick chronology - Brian Dawkins was slipping last year, Quintin Demps struggled (to be charitable) in the NFC Championship Game in January, Dawkins signed with Denver last Spring and then the Eagles signed free agent Sean Jones from Cleveland. And then they drafted a smallish cornerback (5'11") from Virginia Tech named Macho.

Harris ran third at the position for almost all of training camp. But Quintin Demps, the Birds' first choice, never grabbed the opportunity the way the Eagles wanted him to, then whined late in camp that he hadn't sealed it up yet (uh... Quintin? That's your fault).

My surprise is that Sean Jones isn't the starter. He's been a successful starter in the League before, he's a professional who can get the job done and I thought he played well in the last preseason game.

But Jones seems merely to be fine. Demps brings some swagger but doesn't always back it up. The Eagles clearly think that the man named Macho is a little more consistent that Demps, and brings them swagger on a defense that has been missing that this summer.

As long and grueling as the preseason is, it seems like it's been too short for the Eagles. With the opener just six days away, it still seems like they have a lot of moving parts; too many unknowns. The O-line, Westbrook's health, middle linebacker and free safety... all question marks right now. And the truth in the NFL is that things like starters and backups are never as settled as as fans think they are.

Maybe it'll all be fine, and maybe Macho is the answer to fill the huge shoes of Brian Dawkins. But Demps and Jones aren't headed to Siberia - both could still play plenty this season. But right now, Macho Harris seems to have been anointed.

Goodbye to the lazy, hazy days of summer

2009-09-04T10:24:00.002-04:00

Thank God the preseason is over. The last six weeks have not been greeat for the Eagles. Typically, you want preseason to provide answers. That is NOT what happened here; the Eagles spent the month of August creating questions - about Mike Vick and his role, about the readiness of the O-line, and about the general state of the defense.

As a fan, you have every right to be nervous. Couple that with the Eagles propensity for starting slowly, and September might not be a barrel of laughs.

So, let me try to provide a few answers based on last night:

1. The Wildcat with Vick can work.

2. The offense with Vick can't work. At least not right now. That's harsh, because he's obviously rusty. He made a bunch of spectacular plays last night, but only about half of them were spectacularly good. That said, I see the Vick experiment working - in fact, his performance in the second half last night (averaging 2.4 yards per pass) might very well be a good thing; I don't think we'll hear too many "we want Vick" chants in the near future.

3. Vick's relatively short suspension meas the Eagles will try to trade A.J. Feeley this season; they should have some takers.

4. Reggie Brown and Lorenzo Booker won't be on this football team by Sunday. I think both will work in the NFL this season, somewhere else. The trick for the Eagles will be to get some trade value for Brown; teams will be reluctant to give something up because they know the Eagles will have to release him. Don't be surprised if Brown catches 40+ balls somewhere in the NFL this year.

5. Sean Jones should start over Quintin Demps. Jones looks like a much steadier player. Demps'll be ticked off and he might ultimately be a better player, but right now, it's Jones.

Preseason game #4

2009-09-02T21:41:00.002-04:00

As we get set for the fourth (and blissfully final) preseason game, the real action is not on the field; it's behind the scenes, where roster decisions are being made.

For the Eagles, the core of the team is set- without question, the most interesting on the field action for the Birds will be how Mike Vick fares at QB in the second half. But behind the scenes the Eagles are surely debating just who will be left standing on the 53 man roster at Saturday's final cutdown.

Here's one man's educated guess at a couple of well-known names who won't be on the roster - I'd guess that each of these guys will play in the NFL somewhere this year, just not in Midnight Green.

Dan Klecko - Last year's fullback is this year's Defensive Tackle... somewhere else. It's a shame because Klecko is a guy you love to have on your team - a selfless player who got switched all over the place last year and never complained. But it sure looks like Jason Babin has beaten him out. I know Babin's an end, but the way the Eagles switch guys inside in passing situations means that this is the switch they'll make.

Reggie Brown - He could still beat out Hank Baskett for the sixth receiver spot, but it just seems like it's time to move on. I think the Eagles want to keep rookie Brandon Gibson. It wouldn't surprise me to see Brown have success somewhere else in the League, but it sure looks impossible for it to happen here.

Lorenzo Booker - Eldra Buckley is better complement to Westbrook and McCoy because he brings some size to the running back spot. Adios, Lorenzo.

A.J. Feeley - There's been a lot of talk about A.J.'s status, and it's hard to see the Eagles keeping him once the NFL clears Vick to return. He might hang around for a few weeks, but Mr. Heather Mitts will soon be an ex-Eagle. He could land in New England or Seattle as a back-up.

Other not-quite-as-big-names that might be moving on include second year (sort of)Defensive Back Jake Ikegwuono - the Eagles seem to prefer Macho Harris' ability to swing between safety and corner; Middle Linebacker Matt Wilhelm, who just hasn't moved up the depth chart, and maybe Mike McGlynn, a victim of numbers on the O-line.

Quick bits and pieces

2009-09-01T14:54:00.003-04:00

Derrick Gunn says Eagles expect to hear from NFL on Friday regarding the length of Mike Vick's suspension.

Despite my plea yesterday, looks like starting O-Line will not be playing Thursday night. I don't see the harm in pushing Peters and Andrews just a little bit, but it looks like they'll keep them on the shelf.

Omar Gaither apparently among those who didn't practice today... he needs some consistent health to be the #1 Mike-backer.

Finally, some interesting thoughts on Vick from ESPN's Gregg Easterbrook/Tuesday Morning Quarterback... Eagles paragraph is about halfway down.

Play the O-Line Thursday!

2009-08-31T14:33:00.002-04:00

Everywhere I go these last few days, Eagles fans say the same thing - the O-line scares me. And I agree. As has been well-documented, the starters haven't played together as a unit. Not one single time.

And Thursday the O-line, still without starters Shawn Andrews and Todd Herremans, looked awful.

In particular, big off-season acquisition Jason Peters struggled like a pig. I wouldn't worry so much except that he dogged it last year in Buffalo and gave up more sacks than anyone else in the League. Gulp.

Obviously, Peters needs to play a little more in order to be ready for the regular season opener. And yes, by saying "a little more" I'm being optimistic.

On the other end of the line, we have the wildly enigmatic Shawn Andrews. Andrews is a phenomenal talent - he gets out on screens better than most fullbacks, even though he outweighs them by 100 pounds. But he's been hurt a lot. He seems to have conquered depression, and that is a great thing. But I'm not going to lie - his video debut last week scared the hell out of me. For a team dreaming of a Super Bowl, I don't know that he's someone you can count on. He needs to prove it to me.

So, let me get to the point. Andy - play the O-line Thursday night! They need the work! They need to get some confidence! Except for Jamal Jackson and Nick Cole, they've pretty much taken the summer off!

The O-line needs to demonstrate to the coaches, to their teammates, to themselves and to the fans that they can get er done this season.

Gaither to start at Mike

2009-08-30T19:25:00.008-04:00

Glad to see that Omar Gaither is getting his shot to run with the 1s at Middle Line Backer. Joe Mays wasn't getting it done. Mays might be a starter some day, but he just wasn't dynamic enough. The Eagles defense is designed for the Mike backer to make a lot of tackles - they players around him take on the blockers and the Mike needs to make a lot of tackles. Jeremiah Trotter excelled at this. Mays wasn't making nearly enough tackles - he had none (0) in the first half last Thursday against the Jags.

When I focused on him this preseason he was Mamula-esque - often close to the play, but not quite good enough/experienced enough/quick enough to get there in time to make the play. To me it appeared to be a combination of having to think a little too much because he was learning on the job, and his lack of size that made it a little harder to see where he needed to be.

So Gaither gets another shot now. He isn't as good as Stew Bradley, but he's a pro and he can man the position. He's also smart enough to run the defense and call the signals. I don't mean that as a knock on Mays, but Gaither just seems more comfortable doing it.

Gaither got benched last year, replaced at WILL by Akeem Jordan. The reason then - he wasn't making plays. Now, back in the middle, he has to be able to make them. I think he has the speed and the smarts (and the size) to get where he needs to go to make the plays.

The key for Gaither is for the defenders around him - especially the DTs - to keep blockers off of him. He isn't as good as Bradley as fighting off those blocks; that's why he struggled at WILL - his job was to take on the blockers. Now, back at MIKE, which Gaither has said he likes better than playing outside, he has the chance to make plays.

Mandatory reading

2009-08-30T12:45:00.000-04:00

Always, always, ALWAYS read Mike Lombardi's Sunday Post.

EagleWonk has landed

2009-08-30T12:38:00.001-04:00

Welcome to EagleWonk. The goal - fighting back against sports stupidity and talking about all things Philadelphia Eagles.

So, if you think McNabb sucks or that Brian Dawkins still had a lot left in the tank or that resigning Jon Runyan will solve all the Eagles issues, just get out.

If you agree that McNabb is very good but flawed, that Dawkins was great but is now an overpaid Bronco and that Runyan's feistiness would be welcome but that he probably isn't good enough any more, then we can talk.