My Favorite Photos from the Game

He's at the 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 15-10-5 ...TOUCHDOWN! Nothing beats the play-by-play of Merrill Reese.....I guess Hank's specialty is the long bomb....
Photo credits: top - AP, bottom - Jim McIsaac Getty Images/awesome shot dude

Thank You Jeff

I just watched the ESPN post-game interview by Sal with Garcia...right at the end he baits him: "how far can this team go?"

Great answer: we not looking ahead, one game at a time, we're coming together at the right time of the year. EXACTLY! Keep that even keel, don't get ahead of yourselves, we gotta tough, tough game versus the Giants coming up. We have to solve Tiki for a third time this year (DAMN)...

A Few Thoughts at Season's End

WOW....the Eagles second team hand a great goal line stand to prevent the Falcons from scoring a late TD and either tying or winning the game (2pt conv)

Other thinks that struck me:
- What is up with the Bears? The Packers are DESTROYING them 23-0 at half. Getting demolished at home is no way to enter the playoffs fellas
- speaking of that, could we all have been wrong about Charles Woodson being a washed-up malcontent? I thought his signing with the Packers was a joke, but he's played awesome for GB...maybe our perceptions of players are colored when they're mired in the second level of football purgatory (that would be Oakland, with Detroit being the lowest level)...

- Dallas blowing their last three home games to go from possible first round bye to backing into the #5 wildcard spot...HA HA HA...oh yeah, and thanking for hacking up a bone against Detroit, we appreciated the psuedo-bye-week for our Eagles front-line players today....

- Sterling Sharpe was RIGHT, both the Broncos and the Bengals BLEW IT...what the hell?? Two weeks ago they had post-season berths all but locked up....what flubs...the Cincy kicker MISSES a game winning 39-yarder with :08 to play....gee, I wonder how many Bengals will get arrested for DUI tonight??

- Favre still has some juice left....if the Packers get him some weapons, I wouldn't be surprised if he gives it one more year

- Wanna bet that Frank Gore is the second favorite RB in Kansas City right now???? Hard to argue with his selection to the ProBowl....I still prefer Westbrook though....

- Speaking of WB, while I appreciate the rest, it is kind of a shame that he was denied a chance to challenge/surpass Wilbert's all-time single season yardage mark...he might've beat it had he played....oh well....better to have a rest team to face the Giants....

- OK, so the Cardinals have finished yet another season with a dismal 5-11 mark...can they PLEASE not be the darkhorse pick of every so-called "expert" next pre-season???

- Childress goes 6-10, including a dismal 3-5 at home, in his first season as head honcho in Minnesota??? With a Run D like that and Chester Taylor playing so well early in the season...what the heck went wrong??? You got some work to do Brad...

- Jacksonville Jaguars...the ultimate "yeah, but" team in the league this year....

- I don't like the way Herm Edwards bullied his way out of NY last year, but do you think either Jets fans or Chiefs fans care right now?? Probably not...

- Yet another 3-13 campaign for the Lions. What will it take for Matt Millen to get fired...will he have to take a dump in the Ford family driveway???

oh boy

they haven't sealed the deal yet....

Falcons are mustering a late drive...its 24-17 right now...ATL has goal to go from the 7 or 8

AJ and Second String are...

TEARING the Falcons a new one!!!!

AJ is over 300 yards passing....
Baskett is near 200 yards receiving....
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

NFC CHAMPS!

The Eagles got a gift from Detroit, and are now in the midst of a meaningless game against the Atlanta Falcons....

Andy Reid DID THE RIGHT THING, as soon as the scoreboard flashed the end of the Dallas game (Romo gets stopped on the sneak with a chance to tie), he started tapping key players on the shoulder and telling them "Your Day is OVER"...have a nice rest Garcia, Westbrook, Dawkins, Runyan, LJ, Donte, Reggie, etc....

Happy New Year!

It might be New Year's Day yet where you are, but it is here in Japan!
Hope you have a great and glorious and prosperous New Year.
Unless you're a Dallas, NYG, Seattle, New Orleans, SD, Pats, Colts, Ravens, Broncos or Jets fans...in that case...best of luck AFTER your team is eliminated from the playoffs - GO EAGLES!

Flabbergasted

I am going to discuss the brewing "viva la Jeff, dump McNabb" movement by minority of misguided Eagles fans that it taking place on various discussion boards/radio shows.

THERE IS NO DEBATE. McNabb is our starter, McNabb is the better QB.

Do I like Jeff? Hell yeah, he's been one of the sparks that has helped turn around our season, but you know, four wins isn't enough for me to start throwing one of the all-time great Eagles under the bus. Moreover, the resurrection of the Eagles season should not be credited solely to Garcia. The coaching rediscovered the running game (realizing that there was no way they would win if they asked Jeff to pass 70% of the time), and the defense found itself.

Historically, thought I think of a fans take McNabb for granted, lest ye forget, the Eagles were in a moribund state before they drafted McNabb. Donovan is THE primary reason the Eagles have been one of the best teams in the NFL since 2000. Not the only reason, but a big one....the same way that Garcia's fiery, can-do attitude has helped the Eagles believe in themselves once again following 5's season-ending knee injury.

There are folks who question Donovan's leadership style. He comes off as a fun-loving guy, laid back, but some douchebags mistakenly believe this mean the man doesn't care about winning. As if the only people who care are those who jump around and yell. Garcia and McNabb are different types of leaders. McNabb has almost always been required to put everything on his shoulders and carry the team, to perk them up, to lead by example. Garcia is more up-tempo, he yells and screams, but in the absence of Donovan, other players have become more forceful presences on the field. On offense, Brian Westbrook has been a key. The Eagles lone game-breaker with Donovan gone, the WB has stepped up big in big games for us. Dawkins and Trotter are also much more noticeable to me, and have helped turn around the attitude and play of the defense (which in my opinion, is the real key behind our win streak).

You know what? rather that have this giant long-winded argument defending McNabb, I will just say this,
You put Donovan behind center, and have the same play-calls (i.e. a real running game) and have the defense playing the same hard-nosed run-stopping, turn-over creating D and the Eagles are in the exact same position they are in now....
For those that question if the team really missed him, I refer you to the audio pick-up of Dawkins and Trotter talking on the sidelines during the Titans game...you wanna know what they said, don't let the other guys know how bad 5's injury is, it'll deflate them. This team WENT INTO THE TANK when he got injured...they didn't respond to Jeff's fire one bit...that's how deep a funk they sank into when they learned he was gone. And they didn't look at him as a leader? Get real....

Now, you know what time it is....time to focus on the Falcons, on winning the GD division and seeing what kind of damage we can do in the playoffs!!!

Bye Bye Fuckhead

Hopefully by the time folks see this folks, Saddam will be swinging from the gallows

Are These the Words of a QB Ready to Fight?

He may have been too honest for his own good when asked about the frame of mind he and the other Falcons will be in Sunday.

"Just a winning frame of mind," Vick said. "We want to come down and put on our best performance and get back before New Year's." Sounds like the supposed leader of the Falcons would rather celebrate New Years Ron Mexico-style than getting pummeled around the Linc on Sunday. I tell you this: the Eagles need to jump on this team early, because they will lose interest, especially if their season is already over.

What's my New Year's wish: an injury-free WIN....

Eagles Superstitions

I've had a lot of Eagles superstitions over the years....a few years ago, I had to have the same t-shirt on under my McNabb jersey (at the time all I had was a #5 and an old #59 Mamula jersey I picked up at JC Penney for like $10 one year)....

Since then I've switched key t-shirts....I've gotten Eagles collars for my dachshunds to wear on gameday...I've had gameday rituals, etc....None of them have gotten the Birds to the promised land.

This year, I've managed to dispel most of them...The Eagles went on their winning streak the game that I forgot to put the collars on the boys...so that one is gone...(Unless you count NOT putting them on)....I've worn a ton of different Eagles t-shirts as well.

But I did pick one up lately....I got a White #36 Westbrook jersey for my birthday in Nov...At the time it was my third jersey (Green 5, Black 20, White 36)....During the Redskins game I started switching jerseys between Westbrooks and Dawkins....for offense and defensive series.....AND IT HAS WORKED! AUGH.....

I got a green #58 Trent Cole jersey for Christmas, and I wore that for the first series against the Cowboys, then I switched to #36....then I decided to go with Dawk, and BLAM fumble on the ensuing kickoff....the mojo was kickin' so I stuck with the 36-20 switcheroo....rode it all the way to a Cowboys ass-kickin'....

Westbrook Shining This Season

Right: Westbrook sheds a flailing Cowboys defender enroute to a 122 yard rushing performance on Christmas Day.



I had hoped that Brian would show everyone on Christmas that he belongs in Hawaii in February, and I was right...he had an awesome day.

But when I look at his stats on ESPN...I was jarred...he is #8 in the NFL in rushing, with by FAR the fewest carries of any franchise back.

His totals of today: 239 rushing attempts, 1214 yards and a healthy 5.1 ypc average.
I looked at the 7 running back ahead of him. LT, LJ, Gore, Tiki, Steven Jackson, Willie Parker and Rudi Johnson. Nice company first off, but I was interested to see where Westbrook would theoretically stack up if he was given the same # of chances as the other top backs.

The average # of attempts in the top 7 is 321 (LJ leads with 383, Gore has the fewest of the top seven with 281)...that is 82 more than WB....a straight up addition 82 runs at 5.1 ypc is 418 more yards....however, that is a bit skewed....so I also took the average YPC of the Top 7....its 4.6...that would add 377 yards to Brian's total, vaulting him into the stratosphere of top franchise backs....

What is the point, its not to denigrate Frank Gore (who's total who rise by about 200 yards if he had more carries) or any of the other top backs. Its simply to highlight what a marvelous season the Eagles "other" franchise player is having.

My Favorite Photo from the Game

The Romentum stops here:

Season's Beating

I had to mimic the FoxSports.com title, because it is undeniable: the Eagles beat down the Cowboys today. The marched into Big D and laid waste to the team that was the darling pick to win the NFC just two short weeks ago.

My "Brian Dawkins" Five Stars of the Game, I've grown tired of making Dawk my player of the game, and he had another great performance today, I could make a case for his inspiring presence but I am going in a different direction this week, suffice it to say that he'll always be a player of the game in my book:
***** O-Line...simply put the most dominating performance of the year for the big men up front...204 yards rushing...they manhandled the Cowboys all night long
**** D-Line...simply put, their most inspired performance of the game. Forget the sack happy crew from the first game, forget the stretch of horrid play afterwards....this was straight-up, "we ain't gonna let you beat us" attitude, something sorely lacking from the defense for most of the season. The D-Line generated pressure, stayed in their lanes, and STOPPED the RUN...they did what they're supposed to do, they helped make the LB and DBs jobs easier...playing with the lead helped, but the D-Line finally rediscovered the formerly lost art of shedding blockers and getting penetration.
*** Brian Westbrook - 30 touches, 142 all-purpose yards...MOST of it on the ground (26 for 122)...WOW...so much for the lil-guy-can't-handle-the-load theory...We knew it was bunk...I think the coaches finally it now too....
** Quintin Mikell - feels strange honoring a safety not named Dawkins, but HOW could I leave out the man who helped make 3 HUGE stops against the Cowboys at the goal line. Subbing for an injured Michael Lewis, Mikell not only stopped the Cowboys, but he had a huge strip on KR Miles Austin that could have given the Eagles a huge early lead...the fumble he caused, (recovered by Rod Hood) came just after we had punched the ball down the Cowboys throat in a 13 play, 7 minute drive on our first possession of the 1st quarter....we would up giving the ball right back with Garcia lone mistake of the game, BUT that doesn't diminish Mikell's contributions this game
* Jeff Garcia - what pluck, what fire...what more can I say about this dude that hasn't already been said...you rock Jeff...and it really feels great that BOTH of the QBs that MEO has dissed and thrown under the bus while burning bridges on his way out of Philly and San Fran have gotten their chance to prove to MEO that teams win....not individuals...Way to go dude...5 more wins to go...

My hidden gems for the game:
Shawn Andrews - 3rd qtr, Eagles have the ball, its 3rd and 2 at our own....Just as the Announcers are talking up Shawn Andrews as a ProBowler and a Christmas Baby, etc....snap, and Andrews takes #96 Marcus Spears are THROWS him to the ground...gone is the player that might have been able to stop Garcia from running for the first....Garcia scoots for 4....moving the chains...I mean, they didn't score on the drive...but WOW...that just typifies the dominating performance put on by the big men up front this game....the O-Line really, truly is the

Bunkley Sighting --- Big #78 was in there on the key goal-line stand...
Back-up safety Quintin Mikell, subbing for an injured Michael Lewis rightly gets big ups for coming up with the huge tackles at what proved to by the turning point of the game, the huge goal line stand in the second qtr. But I tell you what, hidden in there are some pretty good play by the oft maligned #1 draft pick DT Broderick Bunkley, who was NOT bad down there....

I tivo'd the game, and watched those plays closely, and the # I saw helping make things happen was Big #78....
2nd and goal from the one...Bunk drove the guard blocking him into the backfield, but the play ran to the other side of the line.

3rd and goal from inside the one....this is one of my hidden gems...won't look like much...Bunk winds up taking on/occupying TWO of the 'Boys O-linemen...YES, he winds up on his back in the end zone...but pulls the center and guard with him...Patterson & co fill the hole and BLAM...run stopped.

4th and goal...Bunk once again blows up his side of the line getting deep penetrating against former PB Guard Marco Rivera...the play goes the other way and Mikell again, deserves much credit for his outstanding play during the series....

What a Christmas Present!

I said it last week, all I wanted for Christmas was for the Eagles to show up and FIGHT. And fight they DID...matter of fact, it was barely a contest. The Cowboys looked discombobulated on both offense and defense. We dominated up front, dictated to the opposition and just put a tattoo on the Cowboys all game long. By the time the 4th quarter rolled around, the Cowboys looked totally disinterested getting their butts beat.

Who would've thunk these stats:

Eagles had 2 89-yard drives, convert 9/16 third down, go 4/4 on third down on the critical first drive...just awesome
Eagles rushing yards: 204...Dallas: 83... 426 to 201 in total yards??? WOW
The HUGE Goal-line stand....that will go down in Eagles lore if they make a real run at things this year.

Christmas Day Scrap

The Eagles are doing exactly what I wished for: FIGHTIN' FOR IT. The passion, the emotion, the execution, its all there. Have they been perfect? No, when the last time the Eagles truly had the talent to stomp others into non-existence? Couple years at least.

But they're scrapping on Christmas. These Birds realize the importance of this game.
Great drives. GREAT :30 second drill to nab those 3 pts. Points are ALWAYS important. This is probably going to be a very tight game down at the end. That drive could prove crucial.

Merry Christmas!

Zaar says: Mele Kalikimaka to everyone. He sure dislikes the snow here in Japan, I guarantee he'd trade it all for his Hawaiian shirt and nice 75deg temperatures again.
Spending a few days away from worrying about/over-analyzing the Eagles. Just enjoy the games this weekend, and be thankful for the fact that Philly fans have at least one team playing meaningful games in December. Also, please say a prayer for those stationed overseas away from loved ones at this time of year. Whether or not they are directly in harms way, they've all pledged to defend the freedoms we all enjoy.

Merry Christmas
Micc

Does Romo Belong in the ProBowl?

This has nothing to do with the analysis, I just love the photo and want it at the top of my page, the BiPolar Express, courtesy ProFootballTalk.com:

I want to state up front that I believe Dallas QB Tony Romo's selection to the ProBowl is premature. That said, I wanted to repost this analysis that I submitted to the Philly.com message boards. I'll edit it some more, but here it is:

After giving the ProBowl selections some thoughts, I believe that the players who were selected to represent the NFC in the ProBowl, (the Saints' Drew Brees, the Rams' Marc Bulger and the Cowboy's Tony Romo) are probably the right three. I believe the most controversial selection is Romo (certainly caused a stir in all the fine, cowboy-hating fans in Philly). I also think Romo being a Pro-Bowler is a product of injuries to a couple of the NFC's top-tier QBs (the Eagles' Donovan McNabb and Seahawks' Matt Hasselbeck) and subpar seasons by other more established QBs (witness Eli Manning's average season instead of what should have been a "break out" 3rd year, and the Panther's Jake Delhomme constantly heave-ho'ing gift INTs to the opposition - Jake regressed and Eli failed to progress).

ProBowl berths do NOT account for a players' entire body of work during said year. Besides being a popularity contest and influence considerably by past performance (some dudes make it on reputation alone), what they really seem to require is sustained excellence and adequate attention from early Oct (when voting begins) to late November (when most folks will have had enough exposure to media, highlights, etc to have an impression made [good or bad]). If a player has a good start to the season in September (getting a jump on the stat monster, cause that impacts the online voters), really makes a lot of plays (gets on Sportscenter, gets noticed) and then backs it up with solid to stellar performances in the majority of games in Oct/Nov (keeps the stats machine rollin') then said player does himself an undeniable service....

An example: The Eagles own Lito Sheppard (imho, a very deserving nod this year after a tough injured start). Lito got a HUGE BOOST with his play at the right time. After missing three games early (no jump for the INT stat) he makes the biggest play in the biggest game of the early season: National TV, the return of MEO to Philly. 4 o'clock start vs the Cowboys and the SIGNATURE replay of the game is Lito's game-sealing 101 yd INT Return for a TD, (and we all love (at least I do) hearing Chris Berman on Sportscenter that night singing, Lee-too, one more for the ROW-A-OD). Then as the voting hits its peak, Lito does it AGAIN, sealing the Carolina win with a huge INT on Monday Night Football. I'm not saying his play the rest of the way didn't matter, he's had a fantastic season, but I tell you what, the attention he got from those two plays really helped propel him to Hawaii .

Getting back to question surrounding Tony Romo: he got inserted into the starting line-up at JUST the right time...voting began in early Oct and in marches Tony and what happens: he resurrects the Cowboys season. He's got media all over him as he plays the highest profile position on the highest profile team in the NFL....but more than that, he PERFORMS....he had good games, the Cowboys WON, and commentators/pundits/fans, everyone talking about his play...how can that hurt? (unless its like Grossman's play around the same time)....

Finally, let us take a look at Romo's competition in the NFC:
NFC East: - Donovan McNabb - after a torrid start, 5 seemed like surefire lock for the ProBowl until he got hurt. There is no doubt in my mind that voters would've sent Donovan to Hawaii and not Romo if McNabb had stayed healthy.
- Jeff Garcia - odd to have two candidated from the same team but: ok a case MIGHT be made for Jeff...but you know what, he's played in even fewer games than Romo this year, so if I feel TR hasn't played enough games, I don't feel like I can make a credible, unbiased argument for Garcia (yes, I can make a biased argument for him, and maybe take into account his total resume, but the ProBowl should be about the current year, not his prior PB selections, I understand this often isn't the case, esp. with linemen, but whatcha gonna do?)
- Washington Redskins - Mark Brunell...you joking right? He gets pulled for Jason Campbell at the peak of the voting...Campbell, uh no, way too late, way too raw
- NY Giants Eli Manning- as previously mentioned, wittle Ewi is having an O.K. season, but he didn't take that big step forward that a lot of folks seemed to expect (hee hee). Plus it seems like every week he's had his own coach ripping him for doing something stupid, that's not the way to get votes.

NFC South: - The Succaneers - Simms/Gradkowski?- 'nuff said - no competition there
- Carolina Panthers - Jake Delhomme, as previously pointed out, he must have gone color blind in the offseason. His new nicknames should be "golden arches" because he served up more gimme INTs to opposing players this season that I can count.
- New Orleans Saints - Drew Brees, far and away the BEST QB in the NFC this year, maybe the NFL MVP. Proved all the doubters wrong and led the Saints into almost unexplored territory. Very deserving starter.
- Atlanta Falcons - Michael Vick - hmmm, seemed more interested in his rushing totals than the Falcons' win total. But as for my argument: He was up and down during that crucial period...remember those two games in Oct were he just lit it up? Had everyone talking about how he'd turned the page, etc.....follow that with a Pisarcik-like fumble for the next 4-5 weeks and the Falcons mid-season losing streak....his inexplicable regression and the team's subsequent swoon came at a VERY bad in the voting for him....

NFC West: San Francisco 49ers - Alex Smith, NEXT....maybe in a few years his name might deserve consideration.
Arizona Cardinals - Matt Leinart, ditto.
Seattle Seahawks - Matt Hasselbeck, injuries right at the critical juncture sidelined him for too many games...he lagged both in the stats and exposure arenas, and his PB rep from last year wasn't enough....
St. Louis Rams - Marc Bulger - continued to put up big numbers and be one of the few bright spots for the under-achieving Rams...cannot argue with him being a back-up

NFC North: Minnesota Vikings - Brad Johnson, started good, but the Vikings swooned through the mid-season (hmm seems like a pattern in the NFC this year) and his play (unlike Bulger's) took a dive as well....
Green Bay Packers - Brett Favre, surprisingly one of the few folks who probably deserved at least some consideration for Romo's #3 spot. The Packers may have pretty bad this year, but it hasn't really been Favre's fault...he's been their only chance to win this year...Not nearly as bad as last year, but the team's subpar record probably did little to alter most folks perception that he is, if not washed up,then too far over the hill to deserve a trip to Hawaii.
Detroit Lions - Jon Kitna...he plays for Detroit, NEXT
Chicago Bears - Rex Grossman, started GREAT, they went through a putrid stretch of absolutely unbelievably horrid quarterbacking just when voters were really hitting the polls. If he would have played in Nov like he just did the past two weeks, and the media wasn't questioning him all month, as the QB of a 12-2 team he probably would've gotten WAY MORE votes...instead people (rightly) credit the Bears Defense with holding it together.....

So that's it....who IS more deserving than Romo???...two for sure, Bulger and Brees...I suppose argument could be made for Garcia, Favre, maybe Vick...but lets be real, Romo propelled the Cowboys to where they are right now: the Division Lead...and he did it by playing very well....I don't necessarily think its great that we gotta deal with 'Boys trolls crowing about their "Pro Bowl" QB, but its something we gotta live with...just like they did, when we got to gloat for seasons with McNabb while they dealt with putzes like Quincy Carter...

Haven't Won Nuthin' Yet

Taking a time-out from the current good (bordering on euphoric) feeling breezing through Philly
right now and I am confronted with one undeniable fact: the Eagles have NOT sealed a post-season berth. Beating the Redskins and Giants was GREAT, but it is NOT the end-all be-all for what I'd like to see us accomplish this season. Jeff, Andy, O-Line, D, special teams, etc....we got six more....Ya'll need to keep fighting. Taking out the Giants in the Meadowlands will lose a LOT of its luster if we bring our "C" game to Dallas on Christmas Day.

That said, I like what I seeing/hearing from the team right now. Which is: not much, yes they're off right now, but even after the Giants game they were saying all the right things. Andy Reid has set a good tone, no looking ahead. Focus on Dallas at the proper time: right now. All we've done it put ours in a position to accomplish our goals....its a good position to be in, yes, but we're not home yet.

Silver Lining to the voters ProBowl snub* of RB Brian Westbrook: Hey Westy, now you get to show the whole country they made a mistake on Christmas Day....

*he is first alternate after all....

Gotta Lot PFT and the Bi-Polar Express

Check out the cover photo for ProFootballTalk.com

Please go to the site for tons of great football talk. I just heard him on Glen Macnow's show in WIP (listen via the web). I love the fact that the dude reported that the Giants were playing images of Rocky getting his head beat in by Clubber Lang during the Eagles-Giants game...OOPS, guess they forgot the ending of the movie...HA HA HA

3 ProBowl Eagles and 1 Glaring Omission

First off, congratulations to Brian Dawkins, Lito Sheppard and Shawn Andrews on their selections to the ProBowl. The only person I regret NOT being able to congratulate is our team's MVP: RB Brian Westbrook. He lost out to First time selectees Frank Gore and Steven Jackson and the outgoing Tiki Barber.

So why didn't he make it and why do I think he was overlooked? Well, if you're here you probably already know I am very much biased in his favor. I get to see this Westbrook each week, and I know how much he means to the Eagles.

That said, I think part of the "problem" is on the on-line ballot itself (I say that because all the selectees are deserving and I'd be hard pressed to say, this guy doesn't belong and Brian does) ....The ballots only register limited stats per position. For offensive players it is NOT total yards...this hits the RBs hardest because they are the ones who have the greatest chance to accumulate combined yardage (with some yearly exceptions to QB's with execptional running skills like Vick, Culpepper, McNabb (when he ran), maybe Vince Young in the future). Brian's forte and true worth is measured not just by rushing stats, his "all-purpose" yards stack up well. Especially when you consider that the balloting ends before the end of the season, so it behooves running backs to crack the 1,000 yard mark early in the season (instead of just this weekend as Brian did).

For example, when I was voting online, I'd see Westbrook with 7-800 yards and but I'd know it was really more like 11-1200 total...but when you see 3 other guys up over the 1,000 yard mark just in rushing...I'm sure the fans not familiar with the NFC or Philly or such just click on the dudes with the most yards...

Garcia vs McNabb - "My" Thoughts

I wanted to repost and add my own comments to an argument that is taking place in Iggle-land over the past few weeks as the Eagles have been sparked to a season-reviving three-game win streak with Jeff Garcia at the helm (with Donovan out for the year). The numbers comments in blue are the points made by Slammalot on the Philly.com Eagles board.

1) The first point I'd like to make in the McNabb/Garcia debate is the fact that the offense has fundamentally changed with the insertion of Jeff as McNabb's injury replacement. I do not think that Donovan was used properly by Andy. He was hung out to dry doing all of Andy's trick play / 70% passing crap and expected to bail Andy out when it didn't work.

2) Westbrook wasn't used properly by Andy, because of #1.

3) When a team is constantly in passing mode, it put an extraordinary amount of pressure on 5 to execute, and if I recall correctly the Eagles were plagued with drops earlier in the season. The drops have been a lot less common the past fews games. From what I've seen, I cannot credit this solely to Garcia's accuracy. Yes, he does throw a different ball, but a lot of D-Macs' drops were "hit them in the hands" kind, so I'd like to credit the Wide Receivers with improving their concentration and stepping up their play since they KNOW they gotta make all their catches because the Eagles have toned down the big-play mentality they labored under with 5. Donovan was in a constant hurry up mode, because defenses KNEW that Andy was going to pass 70% of the time and they brought the farm every single time. This wore out the O-Line and made a true running game hard to pull off.

4) IMO (and mine too) if you gave Donovan the same balanced attack that Garcia is getting right now, you would get the same positive result. I think Donovan is expected to do too many things that he is unable to do on a consistent basis. Personally I think that AR's 70/30 scheme requires almost absolute PERFECT execution, series-in, series-out...McNabb is a streaker, he can get really cold, and then red-hot in the course of a single series....

5) Final analysis: its the Eagles commitment to BALANCE that has enabled Garcia showcase for us his talents and ability to execute the offense effectively.

Ghost of MEO's Past

I dig John Clayton's article on how the Eagles could come to haunt that selfish piece of donkey crap.
He writes: "Get ready for a Terrell Owens Christmas Carol. The ghosts of T.O.'s past are coming to possibly spoil the Cowboys' NFC East celebration. f the Cowboys lose to the Eagles on Christmas Day, the NFC East lead falls into the hands of Philadelphia, the team that T.O. ripped apart last season." I agree with Clayton on this, the Eagles have rallied, and it seems only appropriate that the team they have to beat to seal the deal is the Cowboys.

A good sign from my perspective, was the way the Eagles handled the immediate media barrage about the rematch with MEO. Last year doesn't matter, how he divided the team is history. What matters now is that each player focus on what he needs to do to get ready for the biggest game of the season. Will they win. I don't know. I am not a seer, but I will go on the record with this: if the Eagles play with the same heart, bring the intensity, and exhibit the same emotion that we saw in the Meadowlands, then I really like our chances.

Its almost cliche to say the Eagles need to contain Romo, stop the rush, keep up the opportunistic turnovers and be smart protecting the football. Similar qualities (though not all the same time) are what have spurred the Eagles to their three-game, season reviving win streak. If we don't let the Cowboys run all over us, force some timely turnover, capitalize on their mistakes and commit fewer penalties/mistakes of our own, there is no reason we cannot march out of Dallas with the NFC East lead.

I want it so bad I can taste it...sweet as yesterday was, there is only 1 thing I want this Christmas: an Eagles victory.

High Steppin'

I said I'd post this for a dude at the Philly.com forum. You know ChiefEagles, you're right , this would make an awesome Christmas card for the Manning family

Observations about the Eagles-Giants game

Just a few stories and observations I've found on the web:

Following the Giants loss Steve Politi, of the Star-Ledger, suggests the Giants just shut the hell up. "Just stop talking. Has any team yapped so much while accomplishing so little? The Giants seem to make it their weekly mission to remind everyone how good they are, only to come out on Sunday and prove their mediocrity, time and time again."

Don Banks at SI asks, "Laugh if you must, but Garcia and the rest of the Philadelphia Eagles have as much going for themselves right now as anybody in that morass of mediocrity known as the there-for-the-taking NFC. Is anyone else out there thinking what I'm thinking, that last year at this time there was another team from the other end of Pennsylvania getting hot at just the right time?"

Gary Myers of the New York Daily News has this to say: The New York Giants have melted down so completely in the money time of the season, they don't deserve to get into the playoffs. Why be subjected to further embarrassment? The Giants are just about out of time. "It's like you are approaching that rock and you got to turn soon, otherwise you are going to hit it," Barber said. In other words, the Giants are on the verge of becoming the Titanic.

Mike Celizic of MSNBC says: "You have to give the Eagles all the credit. They are at least as good a story in the NFC as the Titans are in the AFC, maybe better when you consider that the Titans may not make the playoffs even if they win out, while the Eagles will win the division if they beat Dallas and Atlanta."

David Picker of the NYT notes that as Eli and the Giants took the field down 29-22 with 2:57 left that: "The crowd of 78,657 cheered as Manning trotted onto the field. But the fans’ hopes of another thrilling finish were dashed in an instant." On the first play from scrimmage, the Eagles blitzed Manning...the ball popped into the air like a firecracker...Trent Cole corralled the ball after bobbling it and ran into the end zone, high-stepping the final yards. The play took all of 10 seconds.

John Branch of the NYT notes the importance of scoring touchdowns as the critical factor in the game. He writes: "Sunday’s outcome could be whittled to a pair of back-to-back possessions by the Giants and the Eagles. In the final few seconds of the third quarter, the Giants took over at the Eagles’ 7-yard line after safety Will Demps sacked Garcia and forced a fumble. The Giants moved 1 yard in three plays, and Jay Feely kicked his third field goal for a tenuous 16-14 lead.Philadelphia’s Reno Mahe returned the kickoff 64 yards, to the Giants’ 36-yard line. The Eagles ran three plays, too, but the third was a 28-yard touchdown run off left tackle by Brian Westbrook."

Hank Gola of the Daily News says it was the execution of a better game plan that let the Birds dust the Giants. He notes, "While the Giants couldn't find a way to get the ball into the end zone from what Tom Coughlin calls the green zone (maybe it's color blindness that's killing them), the Eagles came up with brilliant play calls on both of Brian Westbrook's TDs." He also remarks that the Eagles worn down the Big Blue D with a balanced game plan that ran right at the heart of the Giants D, between the tackles...yessir, that we did bucko...we got our own hogs up in there, it was damn nice to see Andy Reid finally using them to wear out an opposing team.

Stars of the Game

This is getting be a broken record, but my Star of the Game is Brian Dawkins!

What a game: 12 tackles (11 solo), 2 forced fumbles, 2 passed defended and 1 huge INT (pictured left). Its hard to say too much about this guy. What a warrior...gets hurt right near the end of the game, but doesn't want the team to have to call a time-out...Reid calls it anyway because he wants his best player to be able to stay in the game. Afterwards, when questioned about it...Dawk just shook his head, and said, "no I knew I needed to fight through it" So unlike Mike Vick who pulled himself in the waning minutes of the Falcons crippling loss, Dawkins toughed it out for his teammates.

My other stars:
***** RB Brian Westbrook. He was everywhere for the Birds today. He blew past the 1,000 yard mark with 97 on the ground (he only need 5) and another 40 in the air. None bigger than the huge 28 yarder to give the Eagles a 21-16 lead in the fourth quarter.

**** Correll Buckhalter - lost in the shuffle of the manic second half was the sterling performance by Buck in the first half. 8 rushes for 48 yards might not seem like a huge day but it was, it truly was a hidden gem for this game. He ran with authority and picked up some key first downs. Coupled with his first quarter TD run and it adds up a tone-setting first half for the "General."

*** Omar Gaither - OG. What a baller. We actually had a LB almost lead the team in tackles! He had 10 tackles, including a huge sack in the first half (the only time we racked up lil Ewi today). But I tell you what, he brings a size and toughness was sorely lacking when munchkin McCoy was lined up outside.

** Reno Mahe - For ONCE, our special teams delivers a key return instead of allowing one. Reno's season high 64-yd return came at JUST the right time. Just after the Giants had taken the lead 16-14 (credit the D for holding the G-nots to a third FG) Mahe turns a great trick and winds up deep in Giants territory....3 plays later Westbrook bursts up the left side and presto-chango the Eagles are up 21-16....
* The Offensive Line - I've overlooked these guys for a while, but no longer. With rare exception the fellas up front pushed and shoved the G-men around at will. Just look at the rushing totals: 161-88...and its the Eagles with the 161!!! Whoddathunkit? Above: WB lets big Shawn Andrews spike the ball after his run. A much deserved celebration on a day when the Eagles dominated up front.

Payback is SWEET

Wow, where to start with this one. For starters, I loved the way the team fought today. It seems like we had to beat two opponents today, the Giants and some flag-happy refs. But you know what? They did it, even when thing looked pretty dark. I mean Garcia gets flagged for a taunting foul deep in Giants territory, then gets PICKED and its returned deep into Eagles territory, PASS INT called on Sheldon and a quick Giants TD and about a minute after it looked pretty bright (with the Eagles up 21-16 and driving for insurance points), we are down 22-21. I know a lot of you (like me) we groaning a bit, and wondering why the Eagles ALWAYS have to make things so difficult and if we were they going to go into the tank emotionally with that huge momentum swing.

To my delight, the Eagles kept FIGHTING...they stuffed the Giants 2-pt conversion and right then and there I knew this team wasn't going to pull another 4th qtr swoon. Boom, boom, boom down the field and there were the Eagles knocking on the door again...then BLAM Garcia and Brown knock it down with a sweet rainbow strike on 2nd and 8 from the 19 yard line. A well executed 2pt conversion (which was, BTW, their only official attempt of the season) and its 29-22 and the Eagles have done what I doubt many in the Meadowlands thought they could, go into Giants' Stadium and drive the ball down the Giants throats late in the 4th quarter with the game/season on the line. I thought it fitting that the player who may have cost the first Giants game (Trent Cole with his goofball groin kick) came up with the play to seal the win, with a funky high-stepping jaunt into the endzone off lil Ewi's second INT of the day...

Last but not least: making those jackasses Shockey and Burress eat some crow was SWEET. I wondered during the week why the Giants players were running their mouths, and was quietly happy that the Eagles kept their focus where it needed to be: between the white lines from 4:15-7:15 Sunday evening....

Eagles are Fightin'

Well, too excited to sit down and post something, but I'll say this, the Eagles are fighting today. This is a good sign, didn't get down when things went against them early...now just cut out the penalties and we can do some good things....

ooo, that missed FG hurt.... 17 pts are better than 14

So Atlanta Blew it, What does that mean for the Eagles?

Honestly, Atlanta's loss saturday night to the visiting Dallas Cowboys did not alter the equation for the Eagles all that much. Gone are the days during the middle of the season when losing streaks by several other NFC teams (Atlanta, Minnesota, NYG, Carolina) kept the Eagles in the playoff hunt. It is time now to put up or shut up.

Some of the effects of tonights game:
Dallas has assured themselves a spot in the post-season. Which probably lowest on my give-a-shit-o-meter...Sure I would've liked to have beaten them next week on Christmas just to continue a downward spiral as the season comes to a close, but I cannot fault the way the team fought tonight.

Atlanta, at 7-7, faces some serious soul-searching after blowing this game and watching Vick take himself out of the game with just a minute left...maybe his groin did hurt, but you know what...he sent a clear signal to his teammates with that...there will be no fight left in the Falcons by the time they reach Philly on New Years....

YES, Atlanta's loss does slacken some of the pressure on the Birds to win out, in fact, I think now the only thing they absolutely MUST do is beat the Falcons on the last game of the year to squeak into the playoffs....but my eyes spy a larger prize....If the D can resuscitate itself long enough to begin playing professional-quality football again, this team can make some noise in the playoffs...this team, as choppy and uneven as they've been, can DO something with this season.

Even if the Eagles are having the Greatest Season...

...at least we're NOT in Detroit.

Check out this barb from the Onion...December 7, 2006 | | Onion Sports

Jubilant Lions fans, players, and coaches alike continue to ride the wave of good feelings and positive thinking that began after the team lost by only a single touchdown to the talented and efficient New England Patriots Sunday, a fact they say negates anything else the Patriots achieve this season. .... Patriots coach Bill Belichick, while not willing to declare the Patriots' season a washout, admitted disappointment that his team "wound up playing that three-ring retard circus of a joke team so damn close."

Then consider this photo:
When you have fans from the opposing team coming into your house and declaring their allegiance to your inept front office...OMG, that is hilarious (there is a fourth Vikes fans to the right holding a "club" sign). I love the bags over the head too, very Tampa-esque.

They've even their own FireMattMillen website and blog....hee hee...gotta hand it to them. They've maintained their sense of humor about watching that buffoon dismantle their team year after gruesome year....

Tank it for the #1 Pick?

Cris Carter, the ex-Eagles WR, was hilarious on Inside the NFL this week. When Cris Collinsworth posed the following question: should the Detriot Lions tank the rest of the season to ensure they get the #1 pick in the 2007 draft and the rights to draft Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn....He could be the franchise QB the Lions so desperately need, plus he practically the "hometown hero" cause ND isn't far away.

Dan Marino was like, "what professional athlete is going tank it?" Carter was better, he said if the Lions win another game their entire front office should be FIRED...his advice to the Lions wide receivers, "If you get open FALL DOWN." He might have been being facetious but its good advice nonetheless....

The Excitement Rises

Well, we've got a big weekend of critical football games on the slate, none larger for yours truly than the Eagles-Giants tilt at the Meadowlands at 4pm EST (that's about 0600 for me)....

You what I don't understand, why the Giants players are throwing around subtle jabs at the Eagles...that just plain DUMB....Plaxi-butthole is sitting there saying the Eagles cannot contain him...LB Antonio Pierce is talking about how much better LB he is that Trotter....I haven't heard one PEEP from the Eagles players about the Giants...just about what they need to do, and damn little of that...The team seems intense and focused...they know what is at stake....I wanna see go out and kick some Big Blue ass....send those broke-dick New Yawkers home with there balls in a sling....

In other news, even the Eagles website has taken note of the fans consternation about not seeing enough of the rookie first round draft pick: Broderick Bunkley. The coaches say its based on what he shows in practice...but that's a lot of Bunk (pardon the pun)...get his ass in there and not on some 4th qtr play....he cannot do ANY WORSE than Walker or Rayburn....give the kid a fair shake, and if he bones it up, sit him down.

Bunkley or Bust?

Ray Didinger does a damn good job asking the question: Where is DT Broderick Bunkley?

We've been debating this for quite some time and two questions we all have (as written by RD):
(1) Isn’t it possible that Bunkley might have performed better if he were given more of an opportunity? How much can he show – good or bad – playing just a handful of snaps?

(2) Even if Bunkley is a little rough around the edges, could he possibly be less effective than the veterans who are playing ahead of him now?

My thoughts EXACTLY. I just cannot tell you why the coaches are not playing him. We've got linemen out there playing GAME AFTER GAME and not registering a TACKLE, let alone a sack or a tackle for loss...just a frickin' tackle fer crying out loud. And then when the coaches do put him in there, its for a play or two, often times in very tight circumstances (he got a couple plays in the 4th qtr of a must win game vs Panthers in which we were needed to hold off the Cats) This is NOT the recipe for success.

Bunkley has ALL the tools be a great, not a good, but a GREAT player....it is up to the coaches to work with him, motivate him (to an extent,since they seem to DIScouraging him right now), develop him and get him in there....

Atlanta or Dallas: Does it Matter for Philly?

OK, so who should Eagles fans root for on Saturday? Atlanta or Dallas...

The argument that we should somehow swallow our bile and root for the Cowgurls goes something like this: an Atlanta loss would drop the Falcons to 7-7, and thereby reduce the immediate pressure on the Eagles. Moreover, the reality that if the Eagles win-out they win the division would remain unchanged....Dallas would move to 9-5...and we'd have a chance to keep pace by beating the Giants and improving to 8-6, setting up a huge game on Christmas Day....also, if one believes in week-to-week momentum, if Dallas wins, they might not feel as desperate on X-mas as they would if they lose to the Falcons and possibly see the entire post-season slipping away.

The more obvious: root for the Falcons to beat the Cowboys has one immediate negative consequence: pressure on the Eagles to win against the Giants in order to keep pace in the wild-card race. The bonus part of this added pressure: If they WON, they'd move into the division lead, and the game against Dallas could potentially be one that would threaten Dallas's playoff chances. As for the wild-card race, well the Dirty Birds would go to 8-6 with a win (and maybe move within striking distance of the Saints if New Orleans fumbles) and that sets up the real possibility that the Falcons will NOT have packed it in by the time the Eagles play them on the last Sunday of the season....whew....

Lots of permutations to consider here but I think the ledger in overall terms seems to favor rooting for the Cowboys. You know what? I am not going to ROOT for anyone. I am just going to watch the game with a healthy dose of interested disinterest, because ultimately none of us fans can do anything about it, and the outcome of the game is irrelevant if the Eagles just continue to fight and win.

Our Generation's Hitler - Playing on BBC and CNN

Does the recent news coverage of Iran's little anti-Jew, "there was no holocaust" convention give anyone else the willies? Didn't people in the 30s read the same sort of anti-Semitic diatribes from a nation's leader? Wasn't that Germany? I believe they were led by some dude named Adolf Hitler...

So Iran called together a conference of Holocaust doubters and Iran's top fuckhead, er leader, comes out and says, ""Just as the Soviet Union was wiped out and today does not exist, so will the Zionist regime soon be wiped out." This is in addition to his comments about wiping Israel off the face of the map (all the while making no bones about his country's pursuit of the nuclear weapons needed to accomplish this feat....)

Check here for international media reaction.

And we DO nothing....the rest of the world talks, confers, calls for meetings, calls for pizza. What does the UN do? Zip, zilch, nada...Kofi Annan is too concerned about calling out America for its transgressions to worry about what "some crackpot" in Iran is spouting off about. But is he a crackpot? I dunno, but I will say this I do wish there some international organization out there with the balls to put him in his place...What's that? There's the U.N. you say? HA HA HA HA HA...oh that's rich...so we're supposed to rely on the United fuckin' Nations to do something? Ask the Rwandan Tutsis how that worked out (if you can find any)...Ask the Bosnians or the Ethiopians...how about the black Africans in Darfur currently getting wiped out by the Muslim Africans? Oopsie, guess we're supposed to believe religion is not playing a role in that slaughter.

NFC Thoughts after MNF

Well, the Bears just returned volley after the Saints went on national TV and thumped the Cowboys. I realize that thumping the streaking 8-4 'Boys is a bit more impressive than thumping the fading 5-7 Rams; but the thing that the rest of the NFC must've noticed was the respectable performance of Rex Grossman. Nothing spectacular, he just played a solid game and the special teams came up huge (once again for the Bears) and the Bears re-established themselves. No befuddling loss to an underachieving team that opens the door for the Saints to challenge for homefield advantage in the playoffs...just a butt-whippin' and and 11-2 record that all but assures the NFC's road to Miami will go through Chicago...(though Peter King pointed out today that the home teams are just 10-10 in the playoffs recently, so am not sure where the advantage went....)

How 'bout that Devin Hester? Wouldn't he look good in midnight green? Maybe we might get a return past the 30....

Philly.com has an article title: Defense could stop Birds playoff run...NO SHIT!
Look I'm not deliberately baggin' on Ashley Fox (the author of the piece), I imagine she justs writes whatever story the editor says to write...but damn...talk about stating the OBVIOUS...
We (and by we I mean Philly bloggers and chatters and board-posters) have been lamenting this team "ole-attitude" towards stopping the run almost all season. Its gotten to the point that I call the Eagles' front seven the "Matadors."

We all know the Birds have to start getting it done on D...but we cannot change the past...just hope the same fight we've seen the past couple of weeks begin to translate into anti-run performance in the next couple of weeks. Trust me, Ashley, the fans are painfully aware of the stakes....

Its Not about the Stats Baby....

Everything on the scoresheet points to what should have been a very disappointing Eagles road loss to Washington...We lost Time of Possession and # of offensive plays run...two stats which can be very telling...but NOT today. Today we got creamed on the ground once again, this time to the tune of 210 rushing yards for the Redskins...Ladell Betts joined a parade of mediocre backs the Eagles front seven seemed committed to see playing in Honolulu in Feb. The matadors (as I now refer to them) weren't even in some the replays!!! They just showed Ladell chugging forward, with the legs of others players along the edges of the screen...until one of our safeties (who all played a good game) would mercifully enter the frame and make the tackle...

I thought stick'um was outlawed? I also thought it was usually DBs who used it to snag INTs...heck, it looked like the offensive linemen for the Redskins had jerseys coated in the stuff, because I didn't see one of our linemen break free all day. I wonder is someone from the secretly bathed the Eagles jerseys with negative particles while simultaneous apply a heavy coating of positive charged to the Redskins uniforms...Cause Walker, Rayburn, Howard, and Co sure looked like magnets to the Redskins' refrigerator size O-line this afternoon.

And you know what? I don't care...we escape with the W, liken it to thievery or whatever other manner of skullduggery you chose, but I will take it, and put it in the bank...it still doesn't make up for the Giants game or the game we blew against Tampon Bay but it'll have to do for now...

The Eagles now have a huge date in the Meadowlands next Sunday...hopefull they can recall how they built up a huge lead in Week 2 and then remember not to think the game is over at the of the 3rd qtr. I wouldn't mind seeing wittle Ewi get crunched three or four or eight times again.

Dallas is Getting its ASS KICKED

This is like an early Christmas present...the Saints are demolishing the boys on national TV....good thing we don't play the Cowgurls next week....

But this looks like it will wind up being the loss we needed from the Cowboys to tighten up the division. How HUGE is next weeks game vs the Giants?? We need some payback...and then we gotta a legit shot at the division....

OG is a PLAYA

Omar Gaither is our newest starter as Linebacker for the Eagles, and I tell you something, that man is a player! He isn't that much bigger than the man he replaced (Matt McCoy) but he plays A LOT BIGGER...He's making plays like the old-school Eagles linebackers back in the day...so my new nickname for Omar Gaither is "OG"...

I think that's him at the bottom making that tackle:

Escape from D.C.

LEFT: What's that Brian? Oh, you just sacked Jason Campbell and knocked the Redskins out of the playoffs?? You don't say...well that's my you are my STAR OF THE GAME.





Whew, that was a CLOSE SHAVE...after looking good with some big plays in the first half the Eagles offense became somnambulate in the second half...Who would've thought this team could run the clock out. They needed to do it, and yes, they did it once before, but seriously, the way the momentum had shifted, the way the offense had sputtered in the second half (including that infuriating drop by Reggie on that 3rd down that would've started a drive and given the D a rest); I know a lot of phans in Birdland were anticipating a gruesome three-and-out, followed by a heart-palpitating final possession by the Skins and the Eagles 2-pt lead looking oh-so tenuous. But this team refused to break the heart of the many Eagles fans who made the trek down I-95. Garcia made a couple of huge throws (none larger than the little dump to Thomas Tapeh to get that critical "first" first down) and Westbrook made a couple of HUGE runs for us. Before I knew it, Garcia was kneeling and the players were shaking hands...and my heart started beating normally again...You know, with this team, this year, the way things have gone...high-stress close games are par for the course...

#1 defensive star of the game: (and there aren't many candidates) has got to be Brian Dawkins. With a nod to Michael Lewis for that awesome INT return, it was Dawkins making two keys plays in the 4th quarter to secure the win. The first was that flying denial on the 3rd down out pass that Randle El would've converted for a huge first down for the 'Skins if not for Dawk. The second was the huge sack on what turned out to be the 'Skins last drive of the game. I mean, a couple plays earlier the Eagles had let young QB Jason Campbell just scramble for a first down inside our 5 with the score at 21-16....Like a lot of you, I was groaning, anticipating another defensive letdown. But then comes Dawk, screaming in from the end and trying to tomahawk the ball out...sack...forced the Skins to kick the FG, and Eagles D does the most important thing a defense can do: PRESERVE THE LEAD...they gave it back to the O, and as well all know, they made the necessary plays to run-out the clock.

Some Other Random Observations About the Eagles:
I was gonna make this a third entry, but I wanted to keep OG up top for now...
A few things that struck me during the game:

- Stupid tricksy double-screen to LJ cost us a chance at a long FG....AR decided not to try a 53-54 yarder on our opening drive of the second half. Getting points out of those types of situations is going to be CRUCIAL against better teams: it would've disrupted that string of points the Redskins were on and provided some much needed breathing room. NOTE TO ANDY REID: your timing is WAY OFF on the trick plays, STOP IT....quit getting cute when the situation calls for pounding the ball and just running normal plays to regain momentum.

- Baldinger was right on when he talked about the weakness of the Eagles scheme appearing when the big-plays disappear. The Eagles didn't even try to really establish the run. Good thing they didn't lose it completely...

- Omar Gaither is a PLAY-MAKER! Nice pick early, and I thought pretty solid play from the linebacker position, which has been a huge weakness this year

- Thanks Michael Lewis...you've stayed "in the game", haven't sulked about losing your starting job and just gone to work...you're re-earning the fans respect...keep it up.

- Kudos to all the fans who invaded FedEx Field! I think that one fan who was switching between Dawkins and Westbrook jerseys got more camera time than Clinton Portis. I watched online via YahooSports and I saw a TON of Eagles fans at the game...Way to Go!

First Half Impressions

Nice play by Mike Lewis....
Could the Redskins commit any more penalties??? I think Santana Moss had too much coffee because he 's jittery out there...
Ladell Betts rushes for over 100 yards already??? What the hell...it looks like some of the D-linemen are getting OUT of the holes....this guy could a drive a TRUCK through some of the these holes...and then other plays they look halfway decent...I just don't get them sometimes...


Who said Jeff Garcia cannot throw deep....um...oh yeah, that was me...nice bomb to downtown Reggie Brown....I'd like to see the offense run a few more plays....how about a nice time consuming drive in the 3rd qtr fellas???

So Lets Not Start Slow...oops too late

Ok,
So the dude online just said Marty is calling the plays, but I dunno from the telecast....that two series that have ended on completed passes on third down... unfortunately both were short of the sticks...

HEY HEY....Omar Gaither came up with the first big play of the game for the Eagles...INT in Redskins territory....now its up to the O to make 'em pay....running the game ok....so Westbrook hasn't scored in RFK? Time to change that!....

TD to LJ!

Eagles Forum and Screw the Redskins

Hey all,

Even though the Eagles forum at Philly.com isn't going anywhere anytime soon, a substitute/back-up was created by a pretty steady poster, Rodman....
Check it out if you get the chance...
as for tomorrow, well it marks the first time I gotta get up really early in a few weeks. That kinda sucks, but at least Christina is going back to day-shift so it shouldn't be too bad. Here's hoping the Birds realize the critical nature of every game left on the slate and don't lay an egg...

Lord of the Rings MARATHON

Well, Christina wanted to do a LOTR marathon today....but we kinda slept in a little bit and didn't get started until 10:00....and if you know from watching them, the extended versions are L-O-N-G....great, but each disc is like a movie in-and-of itself....

and check out the funky original artwork? Reminds me of the stoner posters I used to have in college...except uh...I didn't inhale...

Its 8:30pm and we haven't started Return of the King yet....might have to move to budoir to finish that one (no mega-sound, and it would be on our "small" 42" widescreen...but we would get to watch from bed....

Wow, Good Things I'm NOT a Browns Fan

What an embarrassing game on the NFL Network last night (earlier today)....The Steelers CRUSHED Cleveland....and then called them "soft" afterwards....I watched part of the game, and its been a while since I've seen a team roll-over so completely...They made the Eagles who mimicked playing against Jacksonville and Tennessee look like overachievers...

Check out this quote from Browns WR Braylon Edwards (who has recently questioned his teammates will to play)...."It's typical Cleveland football right now. Sooner or later, we are going to have to come together. We fight hard. It's just that there are a lot of other things that are bothering us, everybody in this whole organization," he said. "There's not one thing you can point at and say, 'You know, what if we can do this better, we'll win; if we can get this together, we'll win.' There are other things that are going on that I won't comment on that are affecting us."

I feel sorry for Browns fans. all that pining for a new team and what do they get...an imitation franchise...

Eagles Game is on AGAIN!

NFL Replay is showing the Eagles-Panthers game...woohoo...going to try and take a closer look at some plays/players

Micc's Quickies

Some random observations about the NFL and Eagles:

- you know a lot of folks are talking about the demise of the Eagles D, and I agree that the talent level has dropped, primarily because they've ignored the LB position for too long, but also because of a few bad decisions along the D-line. But, isn't this the same scheme that stifled LaDainian Tomlinson to 7 yards on 17 carries last year? How did they do it? I mean, LT is torching the league this year, dominating like no player I've seen since Marshall Faulk (ok so that wasn't so long ago). I know that was last year, but LT was awesome last year and is even better this, so how it is possible that the Eagles did that and yet just played a string of games in which they didn't look like they could've stopped the Ridley Raiders running game. We stopped Tiki earlier, and Frank Gore, yet somehow we've managed to pull numerous Mr. Hyde imitations and allowed rookies like Joseph Addai, Vince Young and DeAngelo Williams to break big big plays on us....I don't understand it...

- My biggest concern defensively last night (besides the return of the can't-tackle-a-tickle-me-elmo brigade on several plays) wsa the coaching decision to insert BOTH Jerome McDougle (the roster-spot burgler) and Brodrick Bunkley in the 4th quarter. To set the stage, we had just kicked a FG to make the score 21-17 (in favor of the Panthers) and the Special Teams had done their usual lapse-at-a-critical-juncture worst and allowed the Panthers to return the kick-off to the 40...We needed a stop...it is COMPLETELY THE WRONG TIME TO INSERT one true bust (2003 1st round selection McD) and another potential draft bust into the game...What happened? Two plays, two huge runs right over McDougle's end spot...I tried to catch it last night, but I couldn't tell if Bunkley lined up next to JMcD or if it was Walker....Both yanked, and then the Panthers run game got doused....but you know what the 4th qtr of a must-win game that you are currently LOSING is NOT the time to experiment and put in two struggling dudes who've barely played in the game...

- How did the Chiefs hork up a huge, playoff endangering loss to the foundering Cleveland Browns? Green did great, and LJ topped 100, and you lose to back-up QB Derek Anderson...DEREK WHO??? What...how??? I really thought the Chiefs were showing something by rallying around Huard and playing so hard when Trent went down....Now that he's back, they're back to old tricks....hmmm

- Notice to Broncos fans: Your team is officially playing for the future....they aren't going anywhere this year with Jay Cutler...

- Titans fans, an apology. I really thought that with Norm Chow as offensive coordinator that your team should've gone with Matt Leinart in the draft. Now there is no telling what Matt & Norm would've been able to do, but you know what, who cares, you all got yourselves a pretty exciting and dynamic leader in Vince Young (who is 5-4 so far this year)....enjoy....and thanks for beating the Giants...

- Where would the Raiders defense be without Derrick Burgess? Wouldn't he still look good in midnight green? hmmm, not allowed to upload a photo....dang

- Hollis Thomas got busted by the NFL for steroids....HOLLIS THOMAS??...you sure about that...see a photo of that dude lately? Color me suspicious...I don't want to believe he did it...but I'd also like to credit the NFL with being mildly humane and gotta think there must've been something else he popped for besides the asthma medication....maybe we'll never know the true story...

Westbrook Said it Best

Asked by Michelle Tafoya after the game "what is the realistic feelings of the team in the locker room about the rest of the season?" Westbrook answered, " We gotta chance, we gotta keep fighting, work hard to win the rest of the season and see what happens." I am paraphrasing but it illustrates a key point: don't give up, keep fighting the whole way and let things play out. I am very happy the Eagles haven't packed it in. That just is not the character of a team I would want to root for, and I think that quitting becomes contagious...if the young guys see the veterans give up then this franchise would be in for a long, long re-tooling...

Lito and Dawk SAVE THE SEASON

Finally the D makes some plays to win!!! It was a gritty, none-to-pretty display of downright Philadelphia DETERMINATION that the Eagles showed the rest of the league...Did they give up too many plays? Sure.. Did they infuriatingly keep trying play-action before establishing the run? You bet (Andy's paw-prints are all over a gameplan that didn't figure out to RUN on 1st down until our 5th series of the game). But you know what I saw? LIFE...this team did not quit...even when Carolina kept counter-punching, KEPT retaking the lead, this team kept its composure. Maybe it was the presence of Slyvester Stallone (yeah that's right Rocky himself, promoting his new Rocky 6 movie) but whatever it was, the Birds found their balls (pardon my french) and ground out a win.

My five star players of the game:
***** Lito Sheppard - Once again, Lito steps up and makes a HUGE play to seal a win...he not only saved the game, but maybe the entire season, and i LOVE the fact that he did his homework and wound up stealing Delhomme's "fade signal" to Keyshawn at the end on the game-saving INT. He said afterwards when he saw Jake tap his butt, he knew from film study it was the Panthers signal to run the fade...to he stayed home and saved us....WAY TO GO LITO!
**** Brian Dawkins - his centerfield pick of Delhomme in the 4th qtr gave us life....after we finally had a chance to get a stop and then GO AHEAD in the game, Dawkins delivered...and with a great return that almost guaranteed we'd be able to get points (turns out we did have to settle for 3) Great players make plays...nice one 20...
*** Jeff Garcia - what grit, what toughness...if that performance doesn't win over some phans in Philly I don't know what will...on the biggest stage, in a must-win game, in a game where Westbrook and running game was clickin' (more on that later) Garcia PRODUCED!...3TDs NO picks...
** Donte Stallworth - what a catch down the sidelines! It was nice to see the Eagles dial up a few long balls. Even if they don't work, it makes the opposing D respect Stallworth's speed. On a night when the Panthers were obviously keying on Westbrook, Donte showed folks there is more than one play-maker on the field for us
* Jon Dorenbos - our new long-snapper did not flub anything up...keep working that magic dude...for about 8 more games...

Its the Small Things

So we just pull to within 21-17 and strong coverage on the kickoff would be great.... NOPE, we allow a big return to the 40.....

And why the HELL to do you insert BOTH Bunkley and McDougle into the game in that situation???? Its the 4th quarter of a must-win game...THAT IS NOT THE TIME to test whether a couple of first round busts will finally step it up....You do that on maybe the 3rd series of the game....or when you're out of contention or when you have a big lead....NOT is the GODDAMN 4th quarter!!!

Why Accept Some of these Penalties?

Have you ever seen an Eagles D let the team off the hook like this one? I mean I almost DON'T want the Eagles to accept penalties against the opposing offenses...cause we always seem to let them off the hook by allowing a big conversion for a first down that sparks the other team...
I mean half the time, if we have false start or holding, that signals the end of the drive...before the half we get Delhomme backed up with an intentional grounding and its like "no problem", zing, big pass to Keyshawn....Keyshawn gets called for a hold and its 2nd and 16....no problem, screen pass TD....grrrr

First Half Impressions

Where did the D go to hide on that last drive before the half....they were in attack mode all game, and doing pretty well with it....they didn't let up completely (haranguing Delhomme into an intentional grounding)...but they did let that Panthers off the hook...and I don't know about that last play....putting the back-up safety on Keyshawn Johnson??? I mean, come on fellas, you gotta have a little more respect for the other team than that.

Its Almost Eerie...

Check out these blurbs from an MSNBC writer about an NFC East Team:

"They had it (the game) in their hands and dropped it, done in not by lack of effort or inferior talent, but by mistakes and undisciplined play."

"The role of (the) coach...in this collapse has been well-documented. He’s a stickler for detail, like arriving...early for meetings.... But on the field, his team is as disciplined as a boxful of puppies."

"You don’t win titles by taking dumb penalties. You don’t win by blowing coverages in the most critical moments in the game."

They funny thing is...the writer is talking about the Giants...not the Eagles....hee hee...the sad part is...so much of his criticism could be transposed to the Birds...Alright fellas, time to shut some folks up...

Break-Out the Kool-Aid! - NFC Pic Clears UP...

And the Eagles are right in the thick of it...IF they pull their heads out of their asses and beat Carolina tomorrow night on MNF...

The Rams, Vikings and 49ers all basically put themselves behind the proverbial 8-ball today by losing their games to the Cards, Bears and Saints respectively....I say that because I think 9-7 makes a final wildcard spot, and now they are all 5-7....I don't think any of those teams will make it. The Eagles, on the other hand, are granted another reprieve from oblivion, but ONLY if they can prove they can actually play defense...a win on MNF puts them at 6-6, and would give them the 6th sixth seed in the playoffs....

6-6 would tie them with the Falcons, Panthers (who would drop to 6-6 and lose the tiebreaker with the Birds) and Giants (who are now in official free-fall mode)..... Plus they'd have games against the Giants and Falcons forthcoming...

This is it fellas, time to motivate...time to bring your lunchpail...if you cannot get up for a huge game, on MNF, with post-season hopes riding on the line...well, then our faith in the 2006 Eagles will have been misplaced...

Just dream for a moment...Eagles manage to get hot....Dallas drops a game or two, and we get a chance to snatch the division away on Christmas Day....oh...could Santa McNabb and Co. leave MEO a nice fat lump of coal in his stocking....well its a sweet dream anyway...

What was the Giants' D thinking?

So the GYNts just drive to tie the game 20-20, but they left a minute on the clock (thanks to weird and unnecessary timeout, which prevented the GYNts from running at least another 25 seconds off the clock)....

What do you think the Cowboys might do? THROW THE BALL DOWN THE FIELD MAYBE???
Somehow they let Jason Witten run through double coverage for a 44-yd gain....and the writing was on the wall....that has got to be the defensive sour play of the week....

SO Much for my Powers of Prognostication

Well, I guess I missed a few good games by sleeping in this morning....

First, I must be a football genius....the Chargers-Bills game played out about how I expected!!! Woohoo, I think I'm eligible for a job on NFL.com or CBS Sportsline!!!

Ummm....on second thought....I might have to catch the Indy-Titans game on replay cause I have no idea how the Colts didn't blow out Tenn....plus the Lions showed they have some claws, just not enough to handle the Pats...The Browns surprise the hell out of the Chiefs (didn't see that one coming, not with Green throwing for almost 300 and LJ crackin it for 110.....

St Louis exposed themselves as pretenders (dang it) though the Saints easily handled the 49ers.... (1 for 2 there)....

Ok, should maybe I shouldn't quit my day job....oh wait....I don't have a DAY job....

Feelings about Week 13

Hmmm, you know I don't really see a game that would make getting up at 0300 worthwhile...

The NFL's early slate of games has some ok matchups...probably headlined by the Chicago-Minnesota rivalry...but no "must see" matchups....

My headlines before they play:
The Pats will crush the hapless Lions
Indy shows NFC East how to beat the Titans
K.C. rolls a disheveled Browns squad
The Skins make us sweat by squeaking by swooning Falcons (which means we better beat the GD Panthers on MNF)
The Bills play the Chargers tough for 3 quarters, but LT shakes off a "cold" start (game is in Buffalo) and managed to score just enough for the Chargers to win
The Rams and Saints secure dome wins....

The Late games are another story...I will definitely be up for the Cowboys-Giants game, although Texans-Raiders and Bucs-Steelers are dogs....the Jags-Fins game will be interesting...which team will show up? The good Jags or the lousy ones (same goes for the Fins)

The nightcap Seahawks-Broncos should be interesting, Denver is staking their season on Jay Cutler...hmmm
All in all it won't be a bad morning of football...if only I knew which Eagles team was going to show up...the half-way decent ones that has been AWOL since early Oct....or the team that makes Cindy Sheehan look "tough on defense"....if I knew the answer...I'd tell ya...

We got our first snow

Just as the Midwest gets socked with 15+ inches we too got our first actual snowfall last night. We've had dusting that haven't stuck, but this stuff is sticking around....I had to shovel a place for the boys to, uh, do their duty...

For the record, DJ doesn't seem to mind the snow (must be the long coat), while Zaar....Zaar wants nothing to do with the cold white stuff....

What else is going on this fine Sunday....hmmm, Navy beat Army for the fifth time in a row...ULCA upset USC (and here I was figuring SC would be playing for a championship again)...I guess that re-opens the door for Ohio State-Michigan rematch...

No games really seem worthy of me getting up at 0300 tomorrow, but I will definitely be tuning in the Giant-Cowboys match-up....

Christina got her MacBook the other day, I practically had to force her to go to bed coming off a mid...that about sums up my day....sleep, breakfast, college football, shoveling, hot chocolate, lazing in the recliner by the heater....not a bad day

It doesn't take an Einstein to figure out:

Trying to become the first midshipmen class in history to go 8-0....good luck fellas!

Bettering International Relations with Bodychecks

Ok, before I get started a disclaimer: there were no little Japanese ladies harmed by the actions depicted in this story.

To set the stage, my wife Christina was working the night of the NIOC Misawa Christmas Party, but she insisted on buying me a ticket to get me out of the house. I figured it would a pretty sweet free meal (and I was right). The Christmas dinner was held on the Officers' side (read: "good") of the collocated club here in Misawa and the food was excellent (even though you only got one pass the buffet line...that's un-American!) while the cheese-cake deserts (prepared by a wife of one of the chiefs) were fantastic. There was a mountain of door prizes (your faithful reporter here did not manage to win any of those) and schedule for the night included a social hour, opening remarks, dinner and then games....the entertainment committee had come up with some games for us to play and break up the monotony of simply giving away prizes (which include a big-screen TV, XBOX360, PSPs, iPods, furniture, etc....good stuffs).

There were several tables for our Japanese guests from Misawa town, base, and from the nearby Oirase Town. They were centrally located near the front, which playing a factor in this story. As does the numbering arrangement of said table. My ticket was for table 7 which was all Navy Chiefs ('cept for me and the other spouses). There were 20 tables, but the number turned out to be mere window-dressing because the table were arranged in a completely haphazard order ....it didn't start at 1 and follow numerical order, I suspect they gave the table labels to a dyslexic Japanese child and let him run amok. So anyway our table 7 was locating in the back left corner (is looking out from the stage area), I think we two tables nearest to up were 3 and 15...but the thing to remember is that I was stuck in the rear with the gear so to speak and really is only important in the context of why a little old Japanese lady would go SPLAT later on in the evening....which leads me back to the post-dinner games...

First up was who can stuff the most marshmallows in their mouth" - our chief (re-pete, there are two chiefs named Peter....the first is Pete, the second re-Pete) held his own for a long time, but eventually his saliva turned the 'mellos into a gunky white glue..and he could no longer manage to say "Happy Holidays" so he was eliminated.

Then came the "dress someone up as Santa" and we had the perfect canidate...Master Chief Browning's husband (a retired Master Chief himself) had the rosy cheeks, the beard, the glasses....he was the clear favorite, but we all got submarined by table 5, who dressed up a baby as Santa. The CO went all "aw-shucks" on us and blam, we lost the second game...

More prizes were slowly going off the board and yes, like I said, I missed out on the iPods, the XBOX 360, the gift certificates, but you know I don't need any of that stuff, already got plenty of electronic gear)....and then the moment of truth arose....

"Scavenger hunt" was announced, and about 20 chairs were lined up on the stage at the front of the room. The chiefs all turn to look at me (most with sadistic evil grins) and go "NEW GUY"...get up there...Their advice: take no prisoners, you gotta win this for us, be aggressive...well, OH-KAY....I really try to not turn on the competitor in me...sometimes its not fun and isn't this supposed to a family affair? Well the rules get explained: they'll call out an item, you've got 30 seconds to find it and return to a seat, and anyone in the room can help you (of course only those at your table have any inclination to do so). So there I am sitting at the front of packed room of folks, most of whom probably don't know me from Adam and I here them belt out the first item: "Government driver's license" and its ON....I am blast between tables toward the back of the room, snatch a DL from a table-mate and do a frenzied bob-n-weave back to the stage. Where I find out that they sneakily removed at least 1 chair. Ok, so I've got this, speed is of the essence...

Next up: Lighter, check....non-govt. pen, check....man things are cruising....I've got a little path worked out to zip to the back of the room and grab the necessary time from a table of ready, prepared chiefs....others tables are dropping out, either because their table was il-equipped (the lighter zapped like 5 contestants, guess all that "Don't start smoking crap really works, cause there were very few smokers outside of the Japanese) or because they couldn't get back to the stage in time....

Family photo presents a minor problem, none of the Chiefs are there ready to hand me one....augh, time is halfway gone....I snatch my own wallet out my coat and race back the stage...flashing the Christmas photo of Christina, Zaar, DJ and I...at first the dude is like: that's not a family photo, but I doth protest, that my wife and two boys right there I tell him...you can't penalize me for not having kids! That wins the day and I can continue...oh the fates were not on your side little Japanese lady...

The field is really getting pared down, there maybe 8 of us left and then it comes...NAIL CLIPPER is called (30 seconds!) and off I go. I've got this path down pat....back to the table (25 seconds)...oh no, Mr. Browning is having trouble getting it off his key chain (20 sec). He's fumbling with it, time is running down and then POP! off it comes, I snatch it out of his hands (15 sec) and turn to race back...there's a logjam in the way, I've got squeeze past a dude...(10 sec) and then the way opens up, I accelerate past the second row of tables come between the first row of table right in front the dance-floor/stage area. I see a clear path to an empty seat, but there is a little black mass to the left...no prob....weave right....it moves right...jump cut to the right....no dice...BLAM!!! little black mass crumples to the floor (turned out to be a little Japanese lady in a black dress) and I go down in a flying heap flat out on my stomach in the middle of the dance floor, just a few, tantalizing feet from the second to last chair....I glance back and she the crumpled lump is actually a small woman on her knees, but there is no time for sympathy...Letting nothing deter me from victory...I scramble up--leaving Fujiko-san to wonder where the American godzilla who just ran her over went--and snag my rightful seat with 2 seconds left...(you know in my imagination I pictured myself, gracefully trying to weave my around the lady, like Fred Aistare, only to get caught up by a shoelace or something...in reality I am sure it probably looked closer to something out of a Ben Stiller "meet the fockers" sequel: with a giant 200lb American in a slow-mo, yawning roar giving the little lady a forearm shiver directly between the shoulder blades to knock her out of the way....)

We had a time-out after that....she was a trooper, and shook off the contact, got a quick round of applause and though chagrinned, I was ready to resume the chase. I made it through one more item (Florida drivers' license) before our table got knocked out by the ubiquitous "eye-glasses case"....(damn lasik surgery, none of us had glasses on anymore).

I talked with her after our table got knocked out and she was exceedingly gracious...."Don't you worry about me, I shouldn't have been there...I'm ok"....So no international incident arose, and I am sure that she'll have a story to tell her grandkids...cause I've already gone down in NIOC Misawa lore....I guess the command master chief went into work, ostensibly to see the shift-workers...I think its because he wanted to tell Christina was had happened...

I hope I'm invited next year...