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....