My RX for the Eagles

First and foremost, let's begin with a simple statement: the Eagles' collapse at the end of the 2009 season is UNACCEPTABLE. Changes MUST OCCUR. The Defense devolved into something pitiful, so let's start there:

In my fantasy of how to recombobulate the Sean McDermott's defense, I would make some basic moves: I would get Brian Dawkins back from the Broncos. I don't care what you say about Denver's own defense implosion that Dawk appeared helpless to stave off in 2009, the Eagles CLEARLY lacked a "spark" in the backfield...."Macho" Harris looks like he has some talent -- IF he can whip that lump of shit between his ears he calls a brain into some resembling a smart football player (TOO MANY RETARDED plays by Harris this year...not in the missed assignment category, but in the dumbfuck penalty dept.) Quintin Demps and Sean Jones would be thanked for their faithful service and allowed to find employment elsewhere, I hear Detroit might need some DBs. I would resign Sheldon Brown. Not to an extravagant contract mind you, but a solid pay-raise. The man is a WARRIOR, plays hurt and plays well - the closest thing we had to Dawk on the D. A lot of people have a problem with Asante Samuel's tackling ability (or lack thereof). In general: I don't. The man is world-class ball-hawk...how 'bout coming up with the some schemes that play to his ability to free-lance...

As for the Linebackers: I can only say this for 2010: Welcome back Stewart Bradley...I don't think the detrimental effects of Bradley's absence from the line-up this year can be over-stated. The Eagles D went from a having a sideline-to-sideline, three-down MLB would could cover opposing TEs to having, well, let's be a honest, a cobbled together mish-mash of smaller guys used to playing Weakside LB (the WILL position in the Eagles D) and Jeremiah Trotter, who, god bless him, did his best to provide the Eagles D a spark this year. With a healthy Bradley back in the middle, Witherspoon at WILL (yeah, I'd keep him), the Eagles would only have to a find a decent SAM (strongside backer)....the way Gocong disappeared from the D I would be surprised if the Eagles felt he was the long-term answer. Moise Fokou needs seasoning and was clearly overmatched by circumstances this year....HEY HOW ABOUT THIS FOR YA: DRAFT ONE!!!

I think the Eagles have fewer problems along the D-Line....I could be wrong...Aside from Trent Cole, the group played solid, but Clemons clearly isn't a gangbuster and Parker is alright....still the Eagles DL can be effective with the rotation they have....I see the Eagles tapping the draft for another DL this offseason...

Special Teams: Bye bye Sav....Rocca was way too inconsistent this year. Sometimes uncorking punts that looked like kickoffs....other times I think Timmy from Southpark could've done a better job. Akers was solid to great all year. Stay in shape and the Kicking is solid so long as we give Akers time to develop chemistry with a new holder. AND NO, Akers' preference and rapport with Sav would not save him in my world, sorry Dave.

As for the Offense....I am concerned about the O-Line...the loss of stalwart Center Jamaal Jackson so late in the season means he probably won't really be ready to play and be back to his old self for next season. Look at Free Agent pick-up Andrews, ACL tear in December 2008, not really back in the swing much at all this year. Peters will round into shape and I think Stacy Andrews secures the RG position next training camp...Ultimately health will determine the cohesion of the unit, much like this year...Shaky early with Herremanns out, Peaked down the stretch and helped the Eagles to build an impressive win-streak in Nov/Dec, then essentially collapsed with the injury to the C Jackson. The Eagles almost always choose a OL in the draft, and personally I think they HAVE to look at the top-rated Centers....

WR - Easy-peasy here. Jackson and Maclin will form a deadly tandem next year, Avant has the slot position locked down...the only way Brown makes the team is if for salary cap considerations. Like Curtis...still both will compete in training camp and be looking to bounce back from forgettable 2009s...Unfortunately for them, I just don't see it happening.

TE - A healthy Celek, with a nice extension, sweet...I'd really like to see the Eagles pick-up a more blocking-oriented TE, but I doubt they will. HOWEVER, if it were MY TEAM, I would be tracking down one of those dudes who blocks like an extra OL...

RBs - I'd sign Weaver, because he gives the Eagles offense a big-back dimension that simply was not there prior to his arrival. Lesean McCoy will only be better with a year in the system under his belt. There is a lot of scuttlebutt about whether the clusterfuck in Dallas was Brian Westbrook's last game in a Philly uniform. My prescription would have him stay with the Birds. The Eagles need leadership. Yes, they need production, but I give Westy 2010. Let him get fully healthy in the offseason and see if the team can coax a revival year out of him. Its a real shame to think this, because it seems like just yesterday that Brian was this electrifying, spectacular play-maker....Not sure if the old Westbrook will ever be back but I give him a shot after an injury-derailed season.

QB - This is where the axe falls. My Rx calls for the beginning of the Kevin Kolb Era. Its time...Looks at Green Bay, Rodgers was marooned behind Brett Favre, but he flourished this year. 2010 is the last year of Kolb's contract. He played in 2 games this year, and set an all-time NFL record by being the first QB to ever throw for 300+ yards in his first two NFL starts. For me, its time to see what the man can do. Will he make more mistakes? Sure he will. He'll only have 2 games worth of experience...but I tell you what. The man can throw the rock, and he appears to have the accuracy with his throws that will make him a better match for Andy Reid's Offense that the strong-armed, relatively slow release, sometimes touchless throws that plague McNabb and send the offense into fits and starts. I mean, every Eagles watcher is familiar with McNabb's gopher-balls, were he just absolutely drills a laser shot into the turf at the feet of an otherwise wide-open receiver. I didn't get to see the beginning of the Eagles clusterfuck playoff game against Dallas, but from what I've read, McNabb began the most important game of the season is customary form, badly missing on pass after pass. Seriously, how the FUCK does that happen?

After these two consecutive debacles in Dallas, which turned a promising season in utter ashes in the span of 7 days, McNabb said "Blame me, I take full responsibility." OK Dude, much as I love ya, and think you are the best QB in franchise history, I am willing to take you up on the offer. Someone's head gotta roll for this shit, and you just put yours in the guillotine. Personally I am sick of athletes and politicians who offer up the "I'm responsible" claim after something goes wrong, sometimes horribly wrong, and then expect no repercussions. Fine, you responsible. You're FIRED.

Is the Eagles' problem larger than McNabb? Yes. Would trading him "improve the team" for 2010? Not necessarily, but I tell you what, much as I appreciate what McNabb has done for the team, I've had my fill of passes thrown in the dirt. 11-year veteran QBs do NOT wither and blow away like 5 did to end this season. How can the Eagles truly, I mean TRULY, expect to get over the hump with Donovan? This year was his chance to show what he could do with new, faster weapons...the answer is play pretty well, and at times spectacularly....but all these improved weapons did not change the rollercoaster, streaky nature of the Eagles O with McNabb at the helm.

Sapp Criticizing McNabb is like....

perhaps the most classic case of the "pot calling the kettle black" can be found in Warren Sapp criticizing McNabb for not being in good enough shape.

Sapp, shut your trap and stop embarrassing your own fat ass

Wrapping up a Season as the Eagles Drop the NFC Championship

First off, I'd like to thank the Eagles for giving us fans a few extra weeks of football when we all thought the season would over shortly after Christmas. If was a fun couple of weeks of playoff football, and way more uplifting than say another season of failure in Dallas, bitter disappointment in NY or god-forbid record-for-the-ages amount of futility in Detroit.

That said, the Eagles 2008 season can be summed up in two words: missed opportunities.

From the personnel miscues before the season ever started: NOT bringing in a big back, keeping the worthless LJ Smith around at TE (and paying him a megabucks 1year franchise amount - oh boy!), not finding a Fullback, and not having a decent blocking TE on the roster...hmmm, see a theme there? The Eagles biggest problems were in the running game this year, and an off-season that saw the Birds to next to nothing (or worse, consider the 4th rd pick for Lorenzo Booker deal with Miami) to address it came back to haunt them.

For every right move: bringing in Asante Samuel to shore up the defensive backfield, the picks of Quintin Demps and Desean Jackson who made instant contributions as rookies, a rarity in Andy Reid era, the Eagles had one of the debilitating counter-moves mentioned above. So instead of moves that put the Eagles over the top for the season, we fans got treated to a roller coaster ride of efficiency and futility.

That is was the Eagles Defense -- rock solid all season and truly exceptional down the stretch and into the post-season -- who gave up the NFC Championship last Sunday after Donovan McNabb engineered one of the greatest comebacks in NFC Championship game history is a story-line that has been (and will be) largely submerged by the McNabb-Reid era failure in 4 of the 5 NFC Championship games.

Does the Eagles offense need more weapons? Probably. Addressing the running game would go a long way to helping McNabb, and I do by the way believe he will be back in an Eagles uniform next year. I hope Andy Reid promotes someone within the organization to help with his front office duties, in order to let him concentrate more on the coaching aspect of things.

Offseason predictions:
Free agent wise: Dawkins in back, no question, as well as at least one of the Eagles veteran tackles. The Birds would be wise to get some youth at the position, and I think that as always the Birds will look to the draft for that. If Shawn Andrews returns from a season lost to depression and back pain, then the Birds will have options at Guard - Slot Herremans out to a OT spot, have MJG return from a broken ankle and may assume the other guard spot (or at least have a stiff competition with Nick Cole who filled in pretty well behind him).

Might the Eagles go for FA wide receiver? Perhaps...I am not sure who will be coming free this year, but that other Bengals WR (not Ocho Cinco, TJ who's-your-momma) could be available. Would the Cardinals part with a disgruntled Anquan Boldin? (who will be even more disgruntled if the Cards don't reward him with a new contract after he busted his ass to return to the team from essentially, a broken face) I don't know, and I don't want to guess. I don't see a huge free agent splash like last year. The Eagles FO likely sees a need to tweak the roster rather than overhaul the roster. So long as the tweaks mean more contributions from the both 1/3 and less instances of supposed contributors like Reggie Brown, Greg Lewis and/or Lorenzo Booker being deactivated...then I am ok with it.

Is Kyle Eckel the answer at FB? He could be, if the Eagles actually committed to getting a FB onto the field. I hope the Eagles concentrate of getting some actual contribution from the position next year.

As for the defense. It is a much easier scenario. The D-Line should remain strong. Expect the Birds to add another DL in the draft, but the 8-man rotation worked pretty well. FA addition Chris Clemons went from bust to bustin-ass in the second half of the season and should (keyword there) pick right up next year. Expect more from him as he enters his second year in the defense. (I guarantee there will be an article during training camp that mentions how much the D has slowed down for Clemons in his 2nd year under Jim Johnson).

At LB I can see the Eagles keep searching for depth. I mean, Gocong, Bradley and Jordan pretty much entrenched themselves as a solid 3-some of backstoppers. Omar Gaither (OG) provides decent depth in case of injury, but who else was on the roster at LB??? The guys who were seemed to be primarily ST guys and never really saw the field at LB. I guess that's a good thing though, mean few injuries and generally good play from the starters.

The DB present some interesting scenarios. Joselio Hanson went from afterthought to pretty goddamn solid nickel CB this year. The Birds should be able to keep him around. Lito is gone. Dunno how or when, but he needs a change of scenery, plain and simple. Its best for all parties involved if he's gone by the draft. The two "Q's" (Demps and Mikell) performed pretty well on the back-line. I wouldn't be surprised to see Sean Considine depart or get beat out for a position in training camp....he's could hang around for ST purposes and as injury insurance however. He is probably on the last year of his rookie contract, which means he's still relatively cheap. (I do not believe he was ever offered an extension). One question: remember that injured CB the Birds drafted last year Jake Iwannagohome (or whatever the fuck his name was, I'm too lazy to look in my own archive). Guys would've been a highly touted CB out of OU if not for the injury that cost him last year if I am not mistaken. I'm pretty sure yet another developmental CB or S is in the draft equation as well.

Oh, and in case you forgot...there is no question about Dawk. One of the greatest Eagles to ever put on the uniform deserves to come back. His leadership is irreplacable. Expect to see the missile numbered "20" flying around the Linc again next year.

Eagles Beat Giants - Now its Onto Arizona!

I can't quite believe I'm writing this, but the Birds are back in the NFC Championship Game.

I tell you what, in late November, I was talking with my dad after the Eagles coughed up a couple of crappers in-a-row....that miserable (yet oh-so necessary it turns out) tie with Cincinnati and the debacle against the Ravens, and I had to agree with him when he said, "Ant, this just isn't a team capable of winning a championship." It was definitely a dark moment from this year. McNabb looked horrible and the offense simply seemed incapable of mounting anything resembling a consistent, professional offense.

I've watched all the highlights, multiple times, read a bunch of stories about the game, hell, I even Tivo'd the AFN re-broadcast of the game.

There were plenty of talk about the defense on its back-to-back 4th down stands and the gutsy performance from McNabb and the offense. But in all the coverage there is one thing I haven't seen: someone remark on a key play as the 2nd quarter wound down: DT/DE Darren Howard's huge hustle play stopping Derrick Ward short of a first down on a 3rd and 5 with less than 2:00 left. It is the sort of "unsung hero" play that often goes overlooked.

So why did it stick out to me? First off, because the Giants were down 7-5 at the time, but driving for an end-of-the-half score. It was 3rd and 5, and Eli Manning hits Ward on a little swing pass. It looks like a sure first down conversion, but Howard leaps and hauls him down from behind two yards short of the first.

Why does this matter? First off, it stifled the Giants drive and compelled Tom Coughlin to go for the FG and try to take a 8-7 lead into halftime. It also allowed the Eagles to get the ball back with about 1:30, which turned out to be plenty of time for McNabb to guide the Birds down the field with the two-minute offense and set up a David Akers FG as time expired, giving the Birds a 10-8 lead at the half.

Without Howard's tackle, the Giants would probably have run the rest of the time off the 2nd qtr clock, and taken a lead into the half. More importantly, the drive McNabb engineered to end the half wouldn't have happened, at it is that drive which Donovan credited as giving the Eagles the momentum and confidence they had in the 3rd and the 4th quarters. So without that tackle, the Eagles have no confidence building drive and no lead heading into the second half, and who knows where the game heads after that.

That is why I consider Darren Howard's stop my unsung key of the game.

Eagles Beat Vikes - Now its onto the Meadowlands

If you're a Philly fan, you gotta love the grit the Eagles showed today in Minnesota. They stymied the best back in the league, Adrian Peterson (sorry B-West, he's earned the moniker, just like you did last year), for 19 of his 20 rushes. AP gained 83 yards on 20 carries, with a nearly half coming on a big 40 yard TD run in the 2nd quarter. So that respectable 4.1 yards per carry average for the game looks good, but take that run away and its 19 rushes for 43 yards...a little more than 2 per...not so hot, and it very much favors the Eagles.

Video highlights are available here

Merrill's Reese's call on Westbrook's 71-yard screen pass TD still gives me chills and get me fired up, hours after the game.

I cannot help it.

Other things I noticed in the game:
Asante Samuel coming through and earning that big paycheck. How many high-priced free agents have just sorta fluttered around, weighed down by the big wallet??? A.S. may have dropped a few INTs earlier in the season, but he's coming up pretty big down the stretch, and his Pick-6 of Minn. QB Tarvaris Jackson in the 2nd quarter proved to the game-winning points, and it was a huge boost for the Eagles, because prior to that huge turnover the Eagles had had to settle for FGs on all their drives....and putting up "3's" in the playoffs usually ends as the losing formula. That play got us a big 7 points and meant the Eagles took a lead into the half (they led 16-14 instead of trailing 14-9)....
Sheldon Brown DROPPING another gift INT in the second half. My man can lay the lumber from the CB position, but this season, he can't hold onto the ball...He must be trying too hard.
Brian Dawkins flying around the field annihilating fools in the first quarter. Talk about setting a tone. A few hits like that on B. Jacobs and the ball is definitely going to be flopping around on the turf a few times next week.
The D-Line, but in particular, Trent Cole, who was all over the place. I don't recall any sacks by Cole, but I paid attention to the D-Line today, and they refused to get pushed around by the Viking's O-line. They set a good edge against the Vikes running attack, and they were a lot of plays blown up in the backfield.

DeSean Jackson - the Eagles resident Mighty-Mite WR/KR really contributed to the win today. After a few heart-breaking drops against Washington a couple of weeks ago, DJ worked that lil speedster mojo for two awesome punt returns (setting up a FG, and what SHOULD and WOULD have been another scoring attempt except for the McNabb fumble)
speaking of Five - I think the folks that were calling for head might just be changing their tune. Besides the fact that the owner of the team just told the Boston Globe that he's going to be sticking around, there will still be people who would like to see McNabb traded in the off-season. And I fully admit, his play in mid-season sucked balls, and he needed to see the bench. His response since the benching has been phenomenal, and he's been a more mature leader ever since. Does he still have some fun? Sure. But I see less dicking around and little more "we got a job to do" from both him and the team.
Correll Buckhalter, the Eagles #2 RB put the Eagles in position for a FG early with a nice 27-yard run in the first quarter, and then promptly "disappeared" as the Birds did not dial up his # much at all after that. Why you ask, apparently he was taking the FB reps in place of a dinged by Dan Klecko and that just dictated him not seeing the ball much. They cannot forget about Buck next week though.
And of course, Brian Westbrook, who broke the game open with a huge 71-yard TD reception in the 4th quarter. Pretty much stuffed all game long, I really have to credit the Eagles for continuing to feed B-West the ball and get him the touches, because we all know what he can do, and some games its just a matter of time.

Speaking of coaching patience, I was afraid, really afraid Andy Reid & Co. were going to abandon the run and just go into pass-pass-pass mode once it became apparent that the running game just wasn't going to be very successful earlier today. But to his credit he didn't. Did the Eagles pass more than run. Sure did. But the Birds O kept dialing up runs, even late in the game and I think it kept the Viking's defense honest. I think that made a real difference. Next week should be different, as the Giants don't have the same Run D that Minnesota boasts...though they are pretty damn good, and we'll need to stay committed and get better results, to win next week.

But for now, Philly fans can dream of what might be for another week. And after things looked so bleak just a few weeks ago, that's really not such a bad thing.

Birds Still Have Life

I got up at 01:30 Monday morning to "prepare" for the Eagles-Giants tilt today/yesterday. That may seem absurd until you realize it is just 90 minutes before game time here in Japan. Hey, I need time to make some friggin' coffee and wake the hell up, ya know.

Well I am very happy to report that unlike the past few early Monday morning, the Eagles did not play like I feel getting up in the middle ass-crack of the night. They played with a calm, methodical "let's get it done" attitude with a surprisingly patient, and ultimately effective balanced offensive attacks that managed to squeeze out 20 points in a wind-blown Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands. By contrast, the defense played agitated and pissed off, a stark turn around from the relatively meek front that allowed the Giants 400+yards and 36 points just a month ago.

Heck, it is wasn't for a garbage time drive and late TD that made the final 20-14 score seem a lot closer contest that it really was, the Eagles D would've pitched a shut-out. Heck they did for the first 59:45 of the game -- the lone Giants score prior to the last second TD was a blocked FG returned for TD.

And as the game rolled along, I saw some things I haven't seen in a long time: The Eagles give another team a dose of its own medicine - balance offense and stingy D. The Offense was really the key. They actually played an effective, ball control game against one of the better defenses in the league. Case in point: The Giants' blocked FG at the very end of the first half gave them a huge momentum boost going into the locker-room. But the Eagles had played it smart, and would be getting the ball to start the 3rd quarter. The kicker (pun intended): The Birds would have to go against the wind in the 3rd qtr and play with the wind in the 4th...So the Eagles needed to keep the ball away from Eli Manning and the Giants O in quarter number three to prevent NY from capitalizing on its blocked FG and using the good wind to engineer a drive and seize control of the game.

So I, nay we, finally got to see what I am sure many of us wished for countless times this season - The Eagles showing they have to ability to DRIVE the ball when they really need to. The situation didn't call for McNabb to come out slingin' it against the wind, and I was preparing myself mentally for the big let-down and watching 5 throw a flutterball or watching the Eagles simply unable to get that all important first down. And boy, was I happy to be disappointed!!! The Eagles came out and controlled the clock, ramming the ball down the Giants collective throats...YES the initial drive ended in another failed FG attempt against the wind, but it chewed over 7 minutes off the clock and served notice that the Eagles weren't about to let the Giants keep the wind in their sails.

The Giants got the ball at 7:57 (there's that time again) and held onto it for a whopping 3:18 over the course of 6 plays before a punt. Whoop-de-doo. The Eagles took the ball back and kept in the 13-minute mark of the 4th qtr, because that was when Westbrook put a big "fuck you" stamp on the game for the Giants with a back-breaking 40 yards TD reception on a 3rd and 11 play.

The Giants would have one more chance, and it came on their next possession. They drove the ball a little , held onto to for little bit going against the wind in the 4th, but blundered to their 3rd failed 4th down conversion attempt to hand the ball back to the Eagles 4 minutes later. And what happened then. Eagles leading by 10, 17-7, with 9 minutes left in a critical ball game? Well, the way this season has generally gone, I think most of us wouldn't have been surprised to see the Eagles try 3 straight passes and then punt the ball back with something like 7:30 left on the clock and Eli readying the troops for another run at the Eagles D.

But lo' and behold, something miraculous happened. The Eagles RAN THE BALL, actually it was a nice balanced mix, but the Eagles ground out the clock, churning 7 of the final 9 minutes off the clock with the sort of punishing ground game most of us would normally credit the Giants with having and scoff when mentioning the Eagles offense. The drive ended with another Akers FG, giving the Birds a 20-7 cushion.

The Eagles then gave the Giants 70 garbage time yards playing prevent D...yeah it skewed the yardages stats (but heck even with the final 70 the Giants only amassed 211 yards *only 8 more than Brian Westbrook had all by himself!), but it was sacrifice the Eagles were willing to make because they played a yards for time game with the Giants O. The Eagles gave up the middle of the field because it ragged the clock down and refused to allow the quick score. By the time the Giants O managed its first points of the game there were just :15 ticks left on the clock. So while I HATE the prevent D. It did the job today.

So now the Eagles stand at 7-5-1, and you know the strangest thing of all, they are back in the NFC hunt. Sure the Giants won the division by virtue of the Cowboys woeful come-from-ahead loss to the Steelers later in the afternoon, but the Eagles are by no means as out of it as they looked just two weeks ago. Losses by the Falcons (8-5), Cowboys (8-5), Redskins (7-6 and now a half game back of Philly) have created a veritable log-jam. Toss in the 7-6 Bears and 7-6 Saints, and the loser the Carolina-Bucs game on Monday night, and there will be at least 7 teams vying for two spots down the stretch. Whew...holy crap, and the Eagles play two teams they'll have to beat out...plus the NFC will be playing each other...so we'll see who can stand the heat as the weather gets colder.

The "Gold Standard" More Like Bronze

The Eagles have achieved something I've wished very hard would not happen: after years of being an elite team, and the past several kind-of on the cusp of being good but not the record reflect it so much because of various reasons, it is now undeniable: MEDIOCRITY has nested in the Linc.

When the Eagles were first sputtering to start games, I thought, its just a passing phase (pardon the pun - I know how the Eagles complete and total abandonment of the run game is galling to most fans). You know, it happens on occasion. We've all been witness to McNabb having a slow start and then warming up...but this is near constant folks. EVERY FUCKING GAME starts the same way, with the Eagles offense looking like a bunch of guys who just getting together for their first practice at the Eddystone bar league. I mean sleepwalk is not an apt description because I've watched enough HOUSE to know that sleepwalkers occasionally DO THINGS while they're walking around as if they are awake.

The Eagles offense is like a lump.

Today was particularly egregious. I've lamented for a little while to my Dad that the Eagles don't call those easy plays early on to give McNabb a few simply completions, get his confidence up, gain a few yards and get into a rhthym. Marty Mornhinweg tried that today. IT FAILED. Miserably. Easy pass out to the flat...D'oh, Flanker hitch completion for no-yards-gained, check, then another badly missed incompletion, and BOOM went the punt, and out came the groans.

The rest of the quarter was no better. The Eagles piled up all of something like 5 FUCKING YARDS in the entire first quarter, yet after the game McNabb professed confidence. After settling for a 13-13 tie with the short-handed 1-8(and-1) Bengals, having the QB be all like "we did some good things out there", "we have some things to iron out", or "we'll go back to the film room and see where we have to improve" (try everywhere fucktard) is insulting. I think I have a pretty good idea now what that queer, something-is-not-right feeling guests aboard the Titanic must've felt when they keep hearing the announcements from the captain that everything was ok.

Everything is NOT OK. The Eagles stand at 5-4-1. Not disastrous, no. But in LAST PLACE to be sure, and unable to summon even a shred of willpower on offense to make enough plays to beat a team that was begging to get beat. You know how the Eagles offense responded, but rattlin' its own cup along the cell bars, demanding an early execution. By my recollection, the Eagles defense got the ball back for the Eagles offense 4 times after the Eagles tied the game 13-13 with about 5:00 minutes left in the 4th quarter. At least 4.

The Birds did nothing. Unless you count embarassing themselves as doing something. (I Don't)

I could go on.
Failure to convert on 3rd and short - Check (one exception being a 4-down QB sneak)
Drive/momentum killing dropped passes - gotta have me some of those in there!
300+yard passing game for the QB, but no running attack whatsoever - Woohoo - right on schedule!
The Offense not realizing the game has started and begin playing until the 2nd quarter - yup, all too common now.

Fuck the Eagles are a frustrating team to watch right now.

That Good Ole' Easy Feel(ey)ing

Its official, both McNabb and backup/starting safety Quintin Mikell were downgraded to OUT for the Patriots game Sunday night.

Here's a question, why not play the game Belicheat always plays and just say they're a game-time decision and then decided announce just before kickoff.....
The bad part: it probably is not going to make much difference. The Patriots are playing on a different level from the rest of the NFL right now.
The good part: perhaps the coaching staff won't rely purely on McNabb to carry the team and will come up with an inventive, balanced attack to counter the Patriots.
The ugly: what do we do if Feeley leads us in knocking off the Pats?

Now THAT is more like it - Eagles Stomp Lions

Ok folks, recall the bloodhounds, the Eagles offense surfaced from the depths to stomp the crap out of the Lions today at the Linc. Coming out in their "throwback" uniforms that were universally derided during various networks' pre-game shows (I believe hideous being most common adjective) the Eagles torched the Lions, scoring 5 straight touchdowns on their first five possessions.

Yet the game still had an air of eerie doubt when the Eagles - knocking on the door for their 6th straight TD - allowed Lions to practically come clean and hit McNabb, causing a fumble inside the 10. The Birds, up 35-14 at the time, were immediately burned by a slant-turned-90-yard-TD from Kitna to Roy Williams, and what looked like a dagger-in-the-heart 42-14 lead morphed into 35-21 lead that just didn't feel secure.

Soon after the Lions were again knocking on the door at the end of the first half. And I am sure the phaithful were grimacing at the idea of a 35-28 halftime lead, and a 35-24 score seemed all but inevitable, with the Lions well within Jason Hanson's range. But oopsie, Kitna lobbed up a jump-ball and Sean Considine came down with a nice catch in the endzone to eliminate the threat.

The good:
Our running worked and set-up play-action...the O worked the way its supposed to....we actually put men in motion, ran some crossing pattern, and YES passed on target and CAUGHT the ball...amazing the good thing that happen when the receivers
- Brian Westbrook. All everything today, over 100 rushing, over 100 receiving, 3TDs...
- Kevin Curtis. Breakout game for KC. topped 200 in the first half, 3 TDs...holy crap.
- The D-Line - 9 sacks today. They hounded Kitna all day.
- The O-Line - kept McNabb upright, blew open holes for Westbrook. Earned their keep in general....nice job up front fellas.

The Bad:
You know, when you blowout another team 56-21, there is no bad....but there is:

The Ugly:
- On a day when the Eagles were passing great, Reggie Brown only had 2 catches for 23 yards. 6 in 3 games???? Whassup wit dat?
- Not much else to complain about...Mahe caught the ball and had a couple of 10-12 yard returns, Rocca's punting was adequate (still waiting for a rocket launch) and the kickoff coverage was merely ok.

Tackling the Garcia/Stallworth Question

Common theme following the Eagles 20-12 dud on Monday which dropped them to 0-2: If the Eagles had retained the services of both QB Jeff Garcia (currently 1-1 with Tampa but looking very sharp) and WR Donte' Stallworth (currently running under the radar - and behind Wes Welker and Randy Moss at wideout for a strong Patriots team).

After two games the offense looks out of sorts. Yes, McNabb looked awesome in the preseason (further confirmation that the preseason is NOT a good indicator of future returns), but he clearly is struggling right now.

Let me say this: If Garcia and Stallworth were both wearing Eagles uniforms, I do believe the Eagles record would currently be 2-0.

That said - I do not lay the blame solely on Donovan McNabb. He deserves some blame - he is the QB afterall - but the rush to judgment on McNabb is both premature and wrong. Why you ask?

1. Wasn't everyone fairly cognizant of the fact that McNabb was not going to be "old" McNabb in September. I mean its been what 9 months since his ACL injury? Lest we forget, the last QB to come back from something like this was Carson Palmer. Did he play all year. Yup. Did he look like his old self in Sep? Nope. What was the Bengals record last year? 8-8.
2. Given that, perhaps expectations that McNabb would be an MVP-type QB this year were a bit premature.
3. We had what 50 called pass plays (including sacks) Monday night, and less than 20 runs? What the hell kind of balance is that. Even with Garcia, I don't believe we'd be successful under that sort of run/pass ratio. With Garcia, however, the coaches seemed much more committed to running. With #5 back there, the Birds' coaches seem to get a collective amnesia. So instead of using the run to open up the pass, they just keep dialing up passes. Pass after pass after pass, even on a night when its obvious that McNabb is struggling AND the O is doing nothing to adjust to the defensive coverage.
4. Stubborn Act of Hubris, Part II - I can't let this go. The coaches did nothing to adjust to the defensive scheme of the Redskins. Nothing.
- No one was put in-motion
- The Eagles did not use any formation to make the press-man coverage more difficult (stacking WRs etc
- I saw very few routes designed to help break from the coverage (crossing routes primarily)
- The Eagles went deep all of once in the first half. Without challenging the opposition deep at least a few times, the 'Skins had no reason to respect the deep ball. They could just keep their guys up close because the Birds showed no inclination to try and burn them.
- Finally, the Eagles kept choosing to pass. Even of a night when Westbrook was carving up the run defense. They used no one else. Buckhalter got maybe 1 carry. Tony Hunt was de-activated. What the fuck?

Now THAT is what I wanted to see

Just about everything went exactly as I hoped this evening/morning:

- McNabb looked great. Simply great. He showed some mobility, getting out there on some roll-outs, stepping around in the pocket. More importantly - he had excellent chemistry with his wideouts - hooking up with Kevin Curtis right off the bat, and connecting with both Celek and Schobel for look passes with the TEs
- The team played with atty-tood. The first team D absolutely dominated the Panthers. Delhomme looked lost out there as the Birds first-team held them to 3-and-outs to start the games. Hell, the Panthers didn't move the ball at all until the Birds put in the subs at the end of the first half. Then Delhomme engineered a FG 2-minute drill against the likes of Joselio Hanson, Nick Graham and Marcus Paschal....oops
- Hello LITO! Nice set-up, with pressure on the right, and Lito playing the hot-read...INT for a TD! Good to see Sheppard is back and ready to rock.
- Celek continues to impress. This guy could wind up being a real contributor....at least he looks like it after two weeks - which is very odd (and impressive) for a rookie....
- Barksdale - sort of disappeared for little while (to be fair - there weren't many opportunities) but then came up with a big INT....Rashad is making his case for a roster spot - without a doubt. The announcers are calling #31 a heck of a lot more than they are C.J. Gaddis' name (the man drafted one round higher)
- Rocca rocked it once again. 50 yd AVERAGE????? A great pooch punt....Watch out Dirk (fairness: He punted REAL well too, this is an intense competition)
- Bunkley and the rest of the D-Line - wow, now THAT is more like it...pressure against Delhomme, no points surrendered, very few yards allowed. They played strong, and it allowed the D to get its feet under it and hold the Panthers down.

What to Look For from the Eagles-Panthers Game - Tonight

After starting the preseason with dull thud in Baltimore, the Eagles look to rebound on a short turn-around. They play the Carolina Panthers tonight (Friday night) and you know what? They need to show some life.

They do NOT need to win (though that would be nice), but I'd like to see they come out with a little bit of fire - especially the first team players and even more so the defensive starters. I mean no letting the Panthers just convert 3rd down after down. Force a 3rd and long and STOP THEM! Nothing is more fucking frustrating that watching the Eagles D play decent on 1st and 2nd down and then fail to hold on 3rd....

What else do I want to see? Let me tell you:
- Fewer mistakes. I know all the stuff about working out the kinks in the preseason, but fuck, the Birds had more kinks in their game than the red-light district in Hamburg for crying out loud. Let's play like we know what the hell we're doing, ok fellas?
- I want to see the O-line come out with a bit of attitude. The Ravens ran over, around and through those mofos on Monday night. A.J. barely had time to look downfield before some dude was in his face. Fuck that shit.
- What makes it even more important the O-line get its shit in order is that Donovan returns tonight.
- I love McNabb's quote about whether or not getting hit will get him reacquainted with football "I don't need anybody to hit me to wake me up and get me going," McNabb said. "I've been playing for eight years. I didn't need anybody to hit me when I came out with a sports hernia and I definitely don't need anybody to hit me now and let me know I'm playing football again." HA!
- I am looking to see some offensive execution/chemistry between McNabb and WRs Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis. I think it would be a good sign for the O if he can hook up with them early and engineer a good drive.
- I am looking to see how Will James responds. He talked a big game in the offseason about being a starter and challenging Sheldon Brown for the job. Then get out and gets pwned by Steve McNair on the first drive of the game. Oopsie....Whatchagonnado man? The Birds are going to be depending on James to provide some quality play.
- Speaking of CBs - I don't need to see Lito if he's not ready....Let him rest and give him some plays in game 3 if need be.
- TE Brent Celek. Homeslice whupped some serious ass in his first-ever game in a pro uniform. Can he repeat? I think he'll start with the "1s" meaning a likely opportunity to show he's in sync with Donovan.
- Sav Rocca. While I would rather not see the Eagles punt quite so often, I gotta admit - his leg could be a real weapon this season. Put on a consistent display mate and we'll soon be saying goodbye to Dirk and g'day to Sav!
- Jeremy Bloom - again, show us what you got man. I liked game 1. Let us all know its not a fluke.
- Trot and TKO - ok Spikes, time to get hyped and show the Eagles phaithful our collective faith that the LB corps is going to be improved has merit. Gocong played well in game 1, lets see you and Trot pick it up and knock some dudes on their asses.

What else am I going to looking for? Christ, everything folks....
- How about David Akers finding a comfort zone with his new snapper/holder crew. I'd be real frickin' happy if I got that feeling.
The most important part - NO INJURIES!

Lurie Gives his "State of the Team" Address

Lurie began this year's "State of the Team" press conference by talking about what a great year last year was and how the Eagles did a masterful job without their starting QB and star DE.

Why did we let Garcia go? Simple: Garcia deserved a starting QB salary and the Eagles weren't going to pay it for a back-up. He got the salary offer and left. End of story.

What about McNabb? Lurie believe McNabb is right in his prime. QBs are hard to find and nabbing a great one is most important decision a ballclub can make (this being used to try and explain the reasoning behind the drafting of Kevin Kolb).

About McNabb's blog? Straight from the horse's mouth: I don't care, I'd rather have the public get to know more about Donovan, and it doesn't need to come from the Eagles to let it happen.

Why are the Birds relatively scandal free during a turbulent off-season? Drafting the "right" way, signing character guys, and being a little lucky.

Lurie also scoffed at the notion that the Eagles don't "go that extra step" to try and win it all. Lurie also said he has the same level of urgency to win the SuperBowl as Donovan McNabb, who recently expressed that the "time is now" for the Eagles to win.

He also reasoned out why the Eagles chose their blue and gold color scheme for their 75th anniversary uniforms. Evidently the colors are the "colors" of Philadelphia, and as Lurie stated: the Eagles are a Philadelphia team, they practice there, they live there, they PLAY there. The Eagles are NOT a suburban stadium team, with only a loose affiliation with their namesake city. So honoring the city, and the city's commitment to the Eagles was part of the decision. You know what? Thank for explaining that. The decision makes a LOT more sense now.

My take after tuning on Eagles.com: We've got an owner who is not only a real Eagles fan but also one who understands this game. He wasn't too rah-rah (yet he, like most of us fans) is bubbling with enthusiasm about the upcoming season. Like most of us, he realizes that injuries and fair share of luck are going to go a long, long to determining if the Birds are right there at the end January with a chance to compete in the SuperBowl. He looks like I would if I owned the team...(with the possible exception that I'd be out in the stands leading E-A-G-L-E-S chants as an owner)...after those dollar-first years with Braman, I think its high time we realize that we've got owners a pretty damn good owner here in our town...

Bloom and the Eagles Run Game

Lots of stuff on Jeremy Bloom, who has basically been annointed the Eagles return man since Bethel Johnson (who signed a 1-year tender) was cut because he could never get on the field for mini-camps. And if what I've read it any indication, we've made the right choice. Little dribs and drabs from camp saw Bloom has been catching everything that has come his way, and it looks like he's ready to be a football player and not a skier. I tell you, having a guy with a bit of explosiveness back there will be a breath of fresh air after a few years of dependable, but god-awful-slow Reno Mahe....so long as he doesn't fumble....

Now here's a question: Bloom looks good now, but what if he doesn't pan out? I wouldn't go so far as put on him on any sort of "indispensable Eagles" list, but dang, it'll be awful nice if he can stay healthy...

Another thing I've noticed, local writers questioning whether or not the Eagles will remain committed to the run this season. As in, now that Donovan's back, will the coaches forget to run (or in some cases it comes off like, will Donovan be so selfish that he all but demands they go pass-happy again).

Here is how I see it: even with Jeff Garcia in there, the Eagles remained a predominately passing team, they just ran a bit more and found that a better balance really benefited both the run AND the pass by keeping teams honest. Let's not kid ourselves: the Eagles did not suddenly morph into a 3-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust K.C. or Pittsburgh team. (weird deja vu moment: I dreamt I typed this into my blog months ago, this exact paragraph, heck before Garcia had even left the team....eerie). I hope and expect the Birds to maintain that better balance because of two things: 1) It gets the ball in Westbrook's hands more often, and the Eagles have a really powerful O-line to pave the way and 2) A bit more running will keep defenses honest and not just let them throw caution to the wind and just rush McNabb (AND his knee) pell mell.

And another thing: I think the Eagles will remain a team that passes to get the lead and runs to keep it. In the past, they've passed to get the lead and then sorta gave the run a half-hearted attempt and then resorted to passing again. I think a good mixture early on, in which AR and MM use runs to step up certain passes, will go a long long way to keeping the offense unpredictable and McNabb out of harm's way.

Training Camp is Here!

FINALLY!
The drought is over!
Eagles news can flow once again.
Are you psyched? - You should be
Are you hopeful? - damn skippy
Are you still wondering how the the various issues (injuries, rookies, roster spots) surrounding the Birds will play out? you bet

But we'll finally start to get seeing some answers.

Now this has lead to the usually pre-camp/day of opening "what to watch for articles"

Here are a few I found useful:
Ray Diddy's piece for Comcast - I really like what he had to say about Stewart Bradley.
Les Bowen's piece, which doesn't offer much new, except for the fact that he links to Donovan McNabb's BLOG! I'll go check it out after I post this.
And of course the coverage from Eagles.com. Wherein I first read that Andy Reid said during his opening press conference that Donovan will wear a knee brace (as added insurance during camp) but that during the season he expects they won't have it on (that's both a good sign AND a little bit of a risk).

Okay, so now that I've given you some good links, you probably asking, alright dude, but what do YOU think? (and if not, why'd you come here? Both of you, I mean it)...well here are my top issues for the 2007 training camp:

Team-wide: Injuries. Okay so this one is easy, almost too easy. The franchise QB is on the mend from a torn-ACL....and let's face it, no realistic SuperBowl aspirations will be reached if Donovan is not able to come back strong. Can they be a dangerous team with A.J. at QB, sure, they beat a few teams with him, but I'm much less confident about being able to make a legit-run at things with our second-string (not unless the Eagles do a complete 180 and become a running team with a rock-solid D...hmm, don't hold you breath, the 2007 Eagles are not going to transform into the 2005 Steelers during August.)

Its also easy to forget that there are two other key players returning from injury: Jevon Kearse (who its thought might've been able to return, late, late last year {if of course, the Eagles had gone deep enough AND he wasn't already on IR}) So what does that mean? It means Kearse's injury occurred so early into the '06 campaign that he's the farthest along in his rehab. The opposite is true for the final in our injury trio: TE L.J. Smith, who had surgery to repair the dreaded "sports hernia" this off-season. Matter of fact, it looks like L.J. is the only Eagle that will be limited as camp starts (considering that some teams have already lost players to some injuries, etc, its not a bad start).

Other key issues, by department:
Offense - not many big question marks on the offense side of the ball (other than the injuries one I just spent two paragraphs yammering about). Two things strike me:
1. How will our new "big backs" look. If you're like me and lamented the fact that the Eagles didn't really have a large option in the backfield to complement Westbrook then you're also probably juiced about the fact that the Eagles drafted RBs Tony Hunt and Nate "Big Nasti" Ilaoa. NOW, we get to see if these two young guys make any sort of impression. I know it'll just be pre-season games, but I'm telling you, after I get reassured that Donovan is going to be ok, my #1 priority for this TC offense will be watching the running backs.

2. Kevin Curtis. I will also be intrigued by seeing our newest Stormin' Mormon in action. He is, after all, our new "burner", and I tell you, I loved Donte' Stallworth's play last year. I'm hoping Curtis is the same type of performer.

Defense - lots of questions on D but I will limit myself to a few major ones:
My top concern/question mark: with me it all starts on the line. How do the new DTs (Montae Reagor, Ian Scott) mesh into JJ's rotation? Is Broderick Bunkley serious about become a pro football player? Will 2nd rd pick Victor Abiamiri (an impressive young man from Notre Dame) be able to make a dent at DE (he would be our biggest DE, by the way - Kearse, Cole and Juqua Thomas are all slightly smaller fastballs).

2nd of my personal concern list: how will the LB corps evolve over TC. Ok, last year was an unmitigated disaster with the linebackers. We got next to nothing from them last year (No big plays, heck, damn few normal plays), with the lone exception of rookie Omar Gaither (who gave us a glimpse of what other teams LBs tend to do for their teams - some crunching hits, the occasional INT, etc). Now with Takeo Spikes in the nest, Trotter vowing to keep the weight off and come back refreshed and two BRAND new guys likely to compete for time on the strong-side -- Chris Gocong and Stewart Bradley -- how are things going to pan out.

going on down the position chart: we come to Safety. Now the Eagles did NOT use a high round pick to bolster the secondary - something I was damn near SURE they would prior to the draft. (ed. - shows you what YOU know). Will Sean Considine validate the Eagles coaches' faith that he is a starting-caliber safety. He apparently dedicated this off-season to putting on some bulk, so he doesn't get run-over against the run. Besides that: this camp will decide WHO is the Eagles 4th safety. I am sure that Dawkins, Considine and Mikell will be the top 3, who rounds out the group? Draft pick Gaddis (who played both S/CB in college?) probably....there are a LOT of roster question this camp. Competition and nearly every position along the defense is WIDE OPEN.

That's it for now. Stay tuned for more analysis as training camp progresses.

McNabb Practices

Ok, ok, he only directed the offense for a few short series to open the Eagles June mini-camp and ran around for about an hour, but it is still a sign of progress. Why is that? He practiced without a brace. (I sort of expect him to wear a brace to start the regular season, just as a precaution). I also think we shouldn't get too excited....let's see how the knee responds. I wouldn't be surprised if the coaches keep him off the field as a precaution, but it would a very encouraging sign if he can get out there for a second day in a row.

And if you think the team isn't looking forward to having him back or wistfully remembers Jeff Garcia? WR Reggie Brown had this to say, "We're used to seeing Don back there on every play and just having him back, it kind of sets you on your way."

Let's get down to business fellas. We still have some unfinished business. This year its in Glendale.

Donovan Feeds the Vultures

On Friday, Eagles QB and subject of a stupendous amount of media rumination, Donovan McNabb hosted a barbeque for local media members at RiverCrest Golf Club in Phoenixville, which will serve as the site for the Donovan McNabb Foundation Golf Classic on June 15.

Although DMac did meet a few select reporters just before mini-camp at the Flyers practice facility in Vorhees, N.J. (which made the buzzards all "a-twitter" with McNabb-is-mad-at-the-FO rumors), this was the first time since the injury that he's been available to anyone and everyone with a pen and notepad, micro-recorder, cam-corder, webcam, digital camera, spy-cam, blackberry, iPhones, what have you.

The best news to come out the event, this news about his knee: McNabb has been rehabbing the knee four times a week, while still participating in general conditioning workouts five days a week. McNabb said his exercises include weight-lifting, running on the treadmill and certain agility drills. "It's really similar to my workouts in Arizona, just not as extensive."

And of the rampant speculation that his relationship with Head Coach Andy Reid "must be deteriorating because AR drafted a QB in the second round and then there was no reports of them talking until the next Tuesday" (two whole days I tell you). Read on:

McNabb said the events of the offseason have done anything but weaken his connection with his Reid, who drafted McNabb in the first round back in 1999. "My relationship is probably better than it was before because we were able to talk about a lot of different issues," McNabb said. "Obviously there's the issue we're faced with now with drafting a quarterback, but there was also the situation with him and what his family was faced with, and I was there for him. I called him and talked to him, texted him, whatever to let him know that I was there for him if he needed anything...People again look too far into it. We talk all the time."

You mean people read too much into something? Nah, I don't believe it...
Of course, some folks won't let this rest. There's papers to be sold and rating to score and website hits to accumulate between now and training camp in July (when such thing are basically guaranteed). So no matter what Donovan says or does, certain elements of the media will continue to view every action and parse every utterance through the "theres-a-problem-here-somewhere" lens.

I, for one, will be keeping track. And those repeat offenders. Get put on the shit list...

Eagles Thoughts This Week

Its been a few days since I've posted, been working. I figured now was as good a time as any to chime in about the Eagles.

In case you missed it. Donovan spoke to the media on Wednesday. And the Philly press went ga-ga. You see the man can't buy a break. When he didn't talk, speculation ran rampant. McNabb was pissed, wrote some (actually he was out getting ice cream with his kids, though he does admit that the selection of a QB as the Birds first pick in the draft was a bit shocking); other chimed in that he was mad and didn't talk to head coach Andy Reid for days. I'll admit this much, the two didn't talk until the Tuesday after the draft. Big whoop. There were days at work when I never say my boss, let alone spoke a peep to him. However, in this environment, where every word is parsed for meaning and gesture broken down for greater meaning, the LACK of talk somehow took on a life of its own. (and I can damn well guarantee you, that if AR and Donovan had had a pow-wow first thing Monday morning, the Philly press would've run with that as well).

Now that he HAS talked, every bit of minutae about it has been dissected. The rundown:
- The Birds have LOST CONTROL of their star.
- Donovan has flown the nest.
The gists: McNabb chose to a venue outside the NovaCare facility, and used a former Eagles employee (recently let go, but who handled McNabb's public appearance for 8 years) to set up interviews at the Flyers practice facility in Voorhees, N.J.

This is a sign of the coming apocalypse according to the pundits. The Eagles brass will undoubtedly be "fuming" at McNabb for "snubbing" them. And this story won't die - even if (or maybe especially if) no one comments - because the press will just KEEP writing about it, regardless. There is NO other story in Philadelphia, barring the Phillies trading Ryan Howard, that is guaranteed to sell papers like a QB-saga, trumped up or real. So they'll keep flogging the horse until its glue.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are left in the cold, waiting for someone to write about something truly noteworthy. The mini-camp should provide some temporary relief, I hope.

Keys for the Eagles in 2007

A post on the Eagles board at Philly.com got me thinking. What are the keys to the Eagles season in 2007. Having spent so much time debating the fine point of the Eagles off-season moves (with more coming re- the Draft) what can I speculate about regarding what needs to happen to the team to contend for a chance to be in playing in Arizona in Feb.

Overall Team Key #1 - First and foremost, the Eagles need Donovan back. Coming off a torn ACL is never easy and while Carson Palmer did very well last year, he didn't find his QB groove for a little while. That might work in Cincinnati, but Eagles phans need to remember this come September; he probably won't be 100% back and rarin' to go, no matter what the press clippings say. That isn't to say he won't play, or that we should go with A.J. (though I think he could get us by for a few weeks). But make no mistake, this team will not contend without its QB1. If McNabb can stay healthy and get stronger as the season goes on, we'll be fine.

Which leads me to Offensive Key #1 - balance. In order to lighten the burden the team usually heaps on McNabb's shoulders (and keep him upright), the Eagles need to run the ball. I think Reid's commitment to letting Marty Mornhigwheg call the plays suggests this will be the case but we cannot expect to call on McNabb to pass 45-50 times a game 3-4-5 weeks in a row and expect good results.

Offensive Key #2 - Working in a young, new Big Back. I know the Eagles re-signed Buck for another two years, and I know that Westbrook is actually fairly underrated at getting those tough yards (we don't seem to use him enough), but getting a bruiser complement to WB and Buck, someone who can catch the ball too, but somehow who lay the wood to an opponent from either the FB or RB position would be nice, and would really help us maintain that balance (see point 1).

Offensive Key #3 - Production by Curtis/Brown, maturation by Baskett and Avant. I know a lot of folks wanted to see Donte' Stallworth stick around for a while. So did I. But Kevin Curtis is not a bad replacement - or at least he doesn't appear to be. They both got blazing speed, and while Donte' is bigger, Kevin has got better hands. They both can make the tough catch in traffic, I just think that Curtis has a slight edge in making the reception. We'll see sometimes Donovan's passes aren't the easiest things to catch - Curtis will have some adjusting to do. As for Reggie. He had his best game with Stallworth out of the line-up, so while a lot of folks considered DS our Top WR - Reggie's not that far off. If he continues to step-up, he will be a complete and consistent threat at WR. Our second year men, Hank Baskett and Jason Avant should be fine. I don't anticipate that the Eagles will draft a WR, and I'd love to see HB continues to blossom. He came outta nowhere last year and did very well. I still stay Hank's acquisition is the best thing Billy McMullen ever did for this team (we traded BM to Minnesota for the undrafted Hank Baskett)....If Avant can force his way onto the field as a reliable possession/slot guy, it could portend the ends of Greg Lewis' tenure with the team (or maybe not).

Overall Team Key #2 - the second or third d'uh already in this post: Improved Play by the Defense. Ok, quit groaning and don't second guess your decision to click on over here, this key has a point - it leads into the section on individual defense points on which the Eagles need to improve:
Defense Key #1 - Improved play by the defensive tackles. Cole, Kearse, Lito and Dawk might get the lions share of the attention, but its the boys in the middle of the D-Line that set the tone (or don't as was the case too often last year). JJ's defensive style it predicated on technique and speed, not matching size on size as many of us would like to see. But I tell you what, the play of Bunkley, Patterson, Reagor, Ramsey and Rayburn (our present core of DTs) will go a long, LONG way to deciding the overall effectiveness of the Eagles defense. It will make or break our D. If the DTs don't command attention, it reduces the effectiveness of our speed-rushing ends, and too often allows opposing teams to get a lineman on our backers....NOT GOOD...it also plays into...

Defense Key #2 - Restoring the DL-rotation. The Birds D was at its best last year, early on, when we had a very effective 8-man rotation going. The Giants game turned on its head, and the Birds lost Jevon to a season ending injury in O.T. BAM - thing went downhill fast after that...this goes hand-in-hand with DT improvement, but it factors in the need for Kearse to come back healthy (he was injured very early in the season, and should be back to form quicker than McNabb) and for Howard to not disappear in the second half of the season. A lot depends on 4 linemen (Kearse, Howard, Bunkley and Ramsey) who for various reasons, were not available or did not produce as much as expected last season.

Key #3 - Weighing-In. There are some playing weight concerns for some on the Def. Foremost in my mind - Sean Considine. It was painfully obvious after seeing some decent-sized to big back lead cleat marks on his chest, that Strong Safety run support was a little much for his current playing weight. Considine can hit, and he's got good tackling technique, and I like him (unlike a lot of others), but he's not in the same class of hitters like Michael Lewis was for the Birds. A lot of us expect the Eagles to address the safety position early in the draft. And its true. getting a real-live young hitting play-making would be very nice, but SC could be counted on to provide stability/run support in nickel packages, etc, and if he can add a little bulk w/o losing speed, then I think that'll help the D absorb the losses we've had on the back-line. The second weighty issues concerns Trotter, who admitted to not being in the greatest playing shape year. If he can trim off some excess weight, that'll make the banging his knees take a little easier. Also, if the rotation is going, and the DTs play better, he can do what he does best - play downhill. Early in series. Then in obvious pass situation, we can rest him.

Key #4 - Dawkins staying ageless and Lito staying healthy. Lito and Dawk are the two cornerstones of our defensive backfield. While Sheldon, Michael Lewis and Considine all chimed in occasionally last year - our two most consistent play-makers on D were Lito Sheppard and Brian Dawkins. PERIOD. If either one is missing for any significant period of time, our D is going to suffer next year - no doubt in my mind. Which is why the team needs to fine Dawk's long-term replacement this year. I know Brian will play thru the next 2 years of his contract, but waiting until next year to find a safety is stretching it a bit in my opinion.

Overall Team Goal #3 - Improved Special Teams. (ok another d'uh moment). I'm talking all the way around. Better coverage, better kicking, better RETURNS.
Question #1 - Will the Eagles find an answer to their return game woes at the feet of either Jeremy Bloom or Bethel Johnson. Both have the jets, but I'm not sure how much experience either has at punt returns...we need someone for both, and unless we happen to score a DB with return skills in the draft.....The Eagles have been missing a return game for two seasons now (ever since the loss of JR Reed between the '04/'05 seasons). Mahe was fairly reliable, but unspectacular and never a threat to break one all the way.
Question #2 - Can Aussie wonder Saverio Rocca displace Dirk Johnson. Dirk (great name by the way) flashed goodness in 2005, and pedestrian mediocrity in 2006. Rocca is a massive Australian rules footballer who can boom kicks 60-70 yard. He is simply a phenom in AFB and has been an icon there for 15 years. Now at 33, he wants to jump across the pond. Heck this guy could be kicking for us for the next 5-6 years. Personally, I really hope he can make the adjustment to the American game. I wanna see the Roc boot the rock out da Linc!

Oh, yeah, 5 is still the man in Philly....

This bears repeating.

This is the QB of the 2007 Philadelphia Eagles:Don't like it? Lodge your concern here: