EaglesBleedGreen

Random Thoughts Before Training Camp

2009-05-17T20:55:00.002-04:00

* How much will the decisions made on the offensive line impact the way the rest of the roster? There is so much versatility on that line there are numerous possibilities. Could he Eagles really carry only three reserves? Do you need a reserve tackle? Is there one good enough on this roster that could truly be considered one of the 53 most talented players on the team? If they decide to keep 9 or 10 guys here...it could mean that Macho will have MAKE this team want to keep 5 corners...or he might have to win the back-up free safety job to get a spot. There might not be any room left for a 6th defensive end which could mean that our former 3rd round draft pick, Bryan Smith is sent packing without ever taking a snap in a real game.

* Thinking about Bryan Smith there also made me think about something else...if Victor Abiamiri beats up Juqua Parker for the starting left end spot and Bryan Smith lights it up in camp and pre-season, is the 30 something Juqua Parker cut? If the Eagles keep 9 or 10 offensive line, one of them is going to have to go. Do the Eagles give up on a third round pick so soon? Do they send a very able and talented veteran out the door? Questions, questions, questions...

* Last year, the Eagles carried six wide recievers (Jackson, Curtis, Brown, Avant, Baskett, Brown and Lewis)...do they do the same this year? Last year they didn't know Jackson was going to be the player he ended up being...Reggie Brown doesn't have a gig on special teams, but he might be the third best wide out behind Jackson and Curtis until Maclin matures in the system. Could this be the demise of Reggie Brown, or will he hang on at the expense of Hank Baskett, the other wide out with only a one year tender keeping him an Eagle?

* Last year, the Eagles brought in Dan Klecko to play fullback. Kimo went down...Montae Reagor went down...and Klecko was converted back to defensive tackle as an emergency...he started the season as a defensive tackle, played well and then was pushed back into fullback. How much do the Eagles really like him at defensive tackle? Was he just a break glass in case of emergency guy on that line? The Eagles want four defensive tackles that they can rotate in...they have three with Bunk, Patterson and Laws...do they view Klecko as an everydown guy that they can rotate in on 1st and 2nd downs if they wanted to? Can the more stout Amon Gordon show HE can be a that guy for the Eagles? If he does, it could mean the end for Dan Klecko in Philadelphia.

* Say the Eagles end up really liking Jack Ikegwuonu...but they have four with Brown, Samuel, Hanson and Hobbs..and Macho they think Macho can play both corner and safety ontop of ability in the return game...do they put Ike on IR again to keep him around next year when Brown's departure makes the picture not quite as crowded? Or if they like him so much, do they feel comfortable moving Sheldon Brown before the season starts to keep the younger, happier prospect?

* Say Hobbs makes the roster...which he most likely will...and the Eagles trade Brown next season..do they franchis Hobbs to work a long term deal out or do they cause major ripples by resigning him this year with Brown still in the locker room? If we let Hobbs become a free agent...Ike doesn't make the roster this year..and Brown gets traded...that leaves us with only Samuel, Hanson and Macho Harris at the end of this year. I would imagine that that isn't an ideal circumstance for the Eagles..even worse is if Macho doesn't make the numbers crunch this year. We could go from having one of the best cornerback units in the NFL from top to bottom one year to a bunch of question marks the very next year.

* When Moise Fokou was drafted...no one talked about it. There was a conference all with every other draft pick with the media...except Moise. Even with all the pub our draft has gotten the Eagles, not one mention in all the articles I have read of Moise Fokou. Not one picture of him arriving to the Novacare Complex for the first...not even a glimpse of him in the background of any photos taken at mini-camp...nothing. The forgotten draft pick. Tom Heckertt mentioned him in a post draft interview though. Heckertt says they will try him at both WILL and SAM...if he can pick up the SAM position atleast, added in with the reputation he made for himself on special teams in Maryland...isn't he kind of a Dark Horse to make the team? Tank Daniels and Tracy White were both late season additions...Daniels brought in after being waived by the Giants at the expense of Rocky Boiman and Tracy White was brought in while the season was well underway when the team decided to end the Tony Hunt project. I wouldn't exactly claim that either of those two are locks to make this roster.

Eagles moves and the rumor mill rolls on

2009-03-17T17:35:00.001-04:00

Well, free agency is three weeks into the open market, and some big names have moved early on. The Eagles picked up two dandies in Tackle Stacey Andrews and Safety Sean Jones. But the team doesn’t appear to be content with just that.

Rumors have abound that the team is fully interested in Running Back and Full Back hybrid Leonard Weaver. His addition to the team would be of high value, since he could be a short distance runner (goal line runner) and is a proven fullback. Will the team pay out the money he would want remains to be seen. The team has also been talking to Ex-Cowboys safety Keith Davis, who started in place of an injured Roy Williams for the Cowboys in 2008. He is also a special teams ace: his signing could cancel out the loss of Sean Considine, who made his name there in 2008.

But the biggest name flying around isn’t even a free agent: that would be Arizona Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin. Boldin, who lobbied for a trade last year prior to the start of the season through his agent. But now Arizona appears content on shopping him around, and rumor has it a 1st, 3rd, and 6th round picks would be what Arizona would ask for, AKA Roy E. Williams compensation (from the Cowboys and Lions trade in week six last year).

Will it happen? Well, only two gentlemen know for sure. There names are Tom Heckert and Rod Graves, the GM’s of both clubs. Until then, all us Eagles fans can do is sit back and guess at what happens. Does the front office have one huge trick up it’s sleeve, or is this all just a big hoax? Stay tuned for the next episode of, “As The Eagles World Turns.”

What I Want This Offseason

2009-02-12T17:41:00.003-05:00

Well it's another long offseason again. But once again full of promise. The Eagles finished last season 9-6-1. They could have easily been 11-5 or better. Here is what I feel we should do.... or attempt to do this offseason.

1. Resign the following players: Brian Dawkins, Jon Runyan, Joselio Hanson, Sean Considine, Hank Baskett and Nick Cole.

Dawkins and Hanson were key parts of a great secondary last season. Considine was great on Special Teams. He can be replaced, but we lose his experience with the team.

Runyan is the rock of the OL. His health will play a key role on whether we resign him or not. Nick Cole filled in well last season when Herremans was benched for a game, then when Max went down with injury.

Baskett is an underused WR. His size makes him a very attractive target. He should be a red zone threat.

2. Free Agent Pickups: T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Vernon Carey, Corey Ivy, Owen Daniels

Houshmandzadeh gives the Eagles their big play WR. He might cost some money, but would be well worth it. With Jackson, Curtis, Baskett and Avant, the Eagles would have a fast, dangerous WR unit. Maybe their best ever.

Carey is a mauler and would fit in well, taking William Thomas' place.

Ivy is a vet who can flat out play. He help the Raven secondary be one of the best. Adding him would offset not signing Hanson and trading/cutting Lito Sheppard

Daniels would be the best signing of all. A good young TE that will work well with McNabb. But as an RFA, he would cost money and picks. But again, the addition would be tremendous.

Cut: AJ Feeley, Winston Justice, Greg Lewis, Matt Schobel

Feeley is a valuable backup, but won't see much playing time behind Kolb. Justice won't see the field either, being beaten out by a rookie. Lewis is a in a numbers game. And Schobel has played OK, but not the TE we hoped he would be.

Trade: Lito Sheppard and Reggie Brown

Sheppard complained all season long about being a backup. Yet when he played, he didn't show much. And he was inactive for a couple games down the stretch. He is still a good player. But would be better somewhere else.

Brown might fetch us a 4th round pick. A change of scenery may be what he might need also. He's not a bad WR. He just hasn't realized his full potential yet.

As for the draft, I am not making any predictions yet. I do know I would like for the Eagles to draft RB LeShean McCoy and TE Brandon Pettigrew in the first. This is assming we do not sign a RB or TE in Free Agency. After the first round, I would take the BPA. The Eagles have a solid team right now. They just need a few tweaks here and there.

Eagles End Season

2009-01-24T10:15:00.002-05:00

Well what a rollercoaster ride the Eagles had this year. Starting with a total domination of the Rams the Eagles showed they would be a force to contend with The feeling of a great season ended with a devastating loss to the rival Cowboys in week two. Week three brought sweet revenge though. What was supposed to be a close game turned into a blowout for the Eagles over the Super Bowl bound Steelers. The Defense played the most complete game I've ever seen them play.

A few up and down weeks came and wenk. We had some quality wins, but bitter losses. No team actually beat the Eagles until the Ravens did in week 12. The Eagles beat themselves with turnovers and inconsistency on the offense. The defense played welll most of the season.

That week 12 loss to the Ravens looked like te end of the season. But the Eagles rebounded and won all but one of their remaining games. The biggest one being a total dismantling of the Cowboys. That win put them in the playoffs, where they went on the road to eat the Vikings and Giants. Then a close game in Arizona ended the season.

There is one thing we need most next year. CONSISTENCY! The Eagles have the talent, they just need consistency. Free Agency will be coming up soon. There are some players the Eagles could acquire to be more competitive. The draft will also yield some talent. With three picks in the top 53, the Eagles should be able to take some players that fit into the mold of this team.

Looking back, there are some games I would love to se the Eagles replay. Both games against Washington were winnable. But inconsistency and poor playcalling led to two defeats. The Bengals tie should have been a win. But the way the offense played, I was just happy for the tie and not a loss. And the Bears..... two years in a row we had a heartbreaking loss. Maybe soon we will find a way to beat them.

They say there is always next year. I don't want to wait until next year. The Eagles have squandered too many opportunities over the past decade to win a Super Bowl. The time is now to win.

Divisional Game: Eagles Beat Giants ..... Again

2009-01-13T04:58:00.001-05:00

The situation and surroundings were ones that the teams were used to, on their own. Being on the road in the playoffs…the Eagles have done that before. Going to the Meadowlands…you bet they have done that before. But adding the two elements together under one hat provided for far more excitement then just that of any ole playoff game…this was a division rivalry match up in the playoffs! As it was during the season, the Eagles lost at home to the Giants, the defending Superbowl Champions from SB 42, but they got their revenge nearly a month later at the Giants’ house. But the question was, could lightning strike at the same stadium twice for the Eagles, this time looking to stamp their ticket for the NFC championship game? Would the Arizona Cardinals, who pulled off a stunning upset of the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte the night before 33-13, be going to New Jersey, or would their new stadium be hosting their first NFC title match?

Well, they did host the Superbowl last year, you know?

Despite being out gained on offense (the Giants had 307 yards to Philly’s 276) the defense harassed pro bowl quarterback Eli Manning into two of the team’s three turnovers and allowed not a single touchdown. In turn, the offense converted two red zone touchdowns from a yard out as they defeated the Giants for the second time this year on the road with a 23-11 victory. The victory puts the Eagles on the road against the equally as hot Cardinals in Glendale in a rematch of a Thanksgiving day hammering by the Eagles, 48-20. What is most strange about this match up is the seeding of the two teams: the Cardinals were #4 entering and the Eagles were #6, further proving that the season means nothing as the 12 combatants start over seemingly at 0-0.

Quarterbacks: Not much can be said about Donovan McNabb one way or the other. Up for debate would be the two interceptions (as to who’s fault the one to Kevin Dockery could be pinned on) but twice he was able to dig us out of 3rd and very long situations (15 and 20 yards). Even with the wind swirling around the Meadowlands and a few choice drops (see Kevin Curtis, sideline, 3rd quarter) McNabb was 22 of 40 (55%) for 217 yards with a passing touchdown and two interceptions for a 58 QB rating. But hey, it could always be worse right…I mean, just ask Eli Manning about that one. In addition, McNabb kept the ball five times for 16 yards, including a 1-yard QB sneak right up the gut for our first touchdown of the game. He also cost the team a safety with an intentional grounding call in the end zone, but that call, to me anyway, seemed just a bit “iffy.” And don’t forget, during the football off-season, if you need a directory assistant, switchboard operator, or a phone yes man, give ole Donny Mac a “ring” any time!
McNabb Grade: B- (81%)

Running Backs: Devoid of much fullback usage so we will go with this title today. Well, actually, we were devoid of much running either: including McNabb, who ran for 3.2 yards a scramble, the team ran 28 times for 59 yards, a measly 2.1 yards a carry. It’s pretty obvious that the running game has been keyed on, and blocking is not exactly what we have hoped for either, going hand in hand for a trip down “Catastrophe Circle.” Brian Westbrook was a non factor overall, running the ball 18 times for 36 yards and had two catches for only 10 yards. Receiving wise, Correll Buckhalter would fair somewhat better, posting three receptions for 19 yards but he would run five times for seven yards, including one run for six yards. Sightings of Dan Klecko were rarer then usual, except for when we scored in the red zone.
Unit Grade: C (75%)

Wide Receivers: Three receivers were featured and all three caught the passes, even though Reggie Brown and Hank Baskett were allegedly out there. DeSean Jackson, who oddly enough never got a receiver reverse, caught four passes for 81 yards, including a beautiful 48-yard grab down the sideline and short of a touchdown in the 4th quarter. Jason Avant was “Mister 3rd down” nearly reliving “4th and 26” with a 3rd down and 20 reception for 21 yards, totaling 43 yards on four grabs. Curtis, who had a brilliant pass right in his grasp only to drop it, had four catches for 40 yards. I rarely if ever saw Brown, and Baskett was rarely looked at. Also, Greg Lewis was deactivated for the game, allowing Victor Abiamiri to get back in.
Unit grade for those who caught passes: A (93%)

Tight Ends: Returning to the lineup was LJ Smith, but Brent Celek still would not repent. Celek had three receptions for only 12 yards, but one was a 1-yard floating touchdown reception. More over, Celek has improved his abilities has a chip blocker and a stand in blocker for running. Smith had two receptions for 12 yards in his first action this post season, missing the Vikings game for some reason or another. Smith was also flagged for a false start, the only one on offense all day.
Unit Grade: B (85%)

Offensive Line: At times, the offensive line struggled a good bit (see the six tackles for a loss, four QB hurries, whenever else they felt like running McNabb over) but at times they also seemed to be top notch (allowed no sacks, gave McNabb plenty of time to throw the ball on occasions). One flag was thrown for the unit, as Todd Herremans, who many Eagles fans felt could be on the pro bowl team or even an All-Pro left guard, was called for holding. But the tackles, Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas, did a great job against Mathias Kiwanuka (no tackles) and Justin Tuck (five tackles, but only one hurry). And keep in mind one thing: Runyan continues to play through a knee injury, and he was never exactly the most agile tackle to begin with. Overall, the effort was passable, but the middle three need to start getting a running push for whoever is carrying the ball.
Tackles Grade: A (95%)
Interior Grade: B- (80%)

Defensive line: Not only does Victor Abiamiri have a stand out name, but in his first playoff game as an Eagle, he made a stand out play as well. Abiamiri, who had three tackles for the game, picked up a fumble late to definitively ice the game after Steve Smith forgot how to turn and hold onto the ball in sequence. Key against the run were Trent Cole, who had six tackles and a pass defense, and Broderick Bunkley who had arguably his best game in a good while, posting five tackles but two very key tackles, with Mike Patterson on 4th and inches on a Manning sneak, and with Stewart Bradley on a 4th and two Brandon Jacobs run. Speaking of Big Mike, he had three tackles including his co-stop with his defensive tackle in crime, while Darren Howard had one tackle and a QB hurry. Both Chris Clemons and Juqua Parker had one tackle each as well, with Clemons adding a pass defense. Trevor Laws, getting in with the rotation at tackle, had one assist tackle. Despite Jacobs running for 92 yards on 19 carries, he had 24 yards on a run and rarely won a battle up the middle against Mike and Broderick, and Derrick Ward had 46 yards, but again, 14 of them on a single run.
Bunkley Grade: A+ (98%)
Unit Grade: A- (90%)

Linebackers: The question going into the game was, “Would Stewart Bradley be up to the task of stopping Jacobs and crew?” And while it was a give and take situation all day, Bradley more then won his fair share of battles, leading all defensive players (yes, including pudgy Antonio Pierce) with 11 tackles, playing clog in the middle and outside when he wasn’t getting knocked around by Madison Hedgecock. Chris Gocong, who keeps improving as the weeks go by against the run, posted eight tackles as well although five were in assist, and Akeem Jordan had one assist tackle on the game. Yeah, either the Giants were THAT worried about him, or he was THAT invisible and out of the picture, take your pick. Tank Daniels chipped in two tackles on special teams, while Omar Gaither and Tracey White had one each.
Bradley Grade: A (95%)
Gocong Grade: A- (90%)

Secondary: I don’t think there has been a game recently played by the Eagles that Brian Dawkins hasn’t been everywhere at once, and today you didn’t have to worry about him taking a vacation. Dawkins finished up second on the team with ten tackles and his safety partner in crime, Quintin Mikell, had a marvelous game. Mikell had six tackles, two pass defenses, an interception, and a tackle on special teams…oh, and he even missed a series in the 3rd quarter due to a knee issue. Asante Samuel AKA “Mr. Playoffs” managed to keep that moniker alive with four tackles and another interception this week, although he didn’t find the house (he did find the 2-yard line though) and a pass defense as well…oh, and no football where his crotch should be either! Both Joselio Hanson and Quintin Demps had two tackles on defense and one on special teams but Hanson was guilty on the one BIG play the Giants did manage passing to Dominick Hixon for 34-yards. Sheldon Brown had one tackle, and Sean Considine, who played for Mikell when he was in the locker room, had one pass defense, a teams tackle, and one dumb blocking penalty on punt returns. As a direct result of the pass rush even without a sack, Manning only mustered 169 passing yards and didn’t even come close to a touchdown pass, making life for the secondary that much easier.
Samuel & Mikell Grade: A+ (98%)
Dawkins Grade: A- (91%)
Others Grade: B (85%)

Special Teams: From the get go, David Akers knew he was going to get hands on and be ace all day. On the opening kick off, he kept Ahmad Bradshaw from scoring a touchdown by pushing him out at the Eagles 35, and he nailed three field goals and two extra points for 11 accounted points. Not bad for a guy who “struggled” at the Meadowlands (going in, he was 11-of-22 all time on field goal tries). Sav Rocca punted to a 42 yard average and 40 yard net, but was helped also not only by coverage, but the Giants taking three dumb penalties on punt returns, two in one sequence. Demps had a better day on kick returns unlike in Minnesota, averaging 27 yards a return on four tries and 46 for a long, starting off the 3rd quarter. Jackson didn’t get a punt return, but Jeff Feagles only had to punt twice, while Hixon had 2.7 yards a punt return on three, and Bradshaw had 30 yards a kick return, but 65 yards on the opening play of the game.
Akers Grade: A (95%)
Punt coverage grade: A- (90%)
Kick blocking and Rocca grade: B+ (88%)
Kick coverage grade: C+ (78%)

Coaching: There was certainly a lot of bending but no breaking by the defense, but they also managed three turnovers…all this while Jimmy Johnson was sitting up in the press box! Special teams, except for covering Bradshaw on kicks, looked solid overall otherwise. And a devotion to the running game, despite mediocre and less then desired results, needs to be kept. In a situation where it isn’t working, clearly passing the ball is the best way to go, but an offensive imbalance cannot be maintained, because we know what happens when things get lopsided.
Defense Grade: A (93%)
Special Teams Grade: B+ (88%)
Offense Grade: B- (80%)

Ripper’s Three Game Balls
3. Broderick Bunkley: If Avant is my slated “Mister 3rd down” on offense, then Bunkley is my “Mister 4th down” for the defense!
2. Asante Samuel: Now we know WHY we gave Samuel the money we gave him early: the guy makes plays in the PLAYOFFS!
1. Quintin Mikell: An incredible showing by arguably the most underrated defensive player on the team, outside the man in the #3 spot.
Honorable Mention: Stewart Bradley, DeSean Jackson, and David Akers

Stats and Numbers of Interest:
-With his three field goals on the game, Akers broke the playoff record for most consecutive field goals made. The previous record was 16, set by Morten Anderson: Akers now has made 18 in a row.
-With his interception in the first quarter, Samuel tied former teammate in New England Rodney Harrison for the lead amongst active players with seven interceptions in the playoffs.
-Including the playoffs and season, Dawkins has now played in his 200th game as a member of the Eagles.
-Despite taking an early 7-3 lead and then a 7-5 lead, the first four drives by the Eagles offense only managed to net minus four yards.
-This marks the 5th time in the past eight seasons that the Eagles will be going to the NFC title match, but only the second time they will be on the road.
-No playoff game has EVER ended with the score of 23-11...until now!
-As a general playoff note, three teams won over the weekend on the road. The thing they had in common…all three teams are named after birds. Baltimore won, Arizona, won, and then Philadelphia won.
-In addition, while both number one seeds in the AFC and NFC were eliminated (Tennessee and New York) both losing teams out gained the winning team on offense, but lost the turnover battle.

As the excitement and the anxiety stemming from the Giants victory comes to a head, take a moment to step back and look at the big picture which is now the NFC title game. How many people REALLY thought that, with teams like Carolina and New York being 12-4 and made out to be unstoppable and teams like Arizona and Philadelphia chastised for not being “worthy of the playoffs”, that the NFC title game would be between the Eagles and the Cardinals? And better yet…the game is in Glendale? Stay tuned, on “As the Pete Rozelle Smiles down at the lack of Parody in the NFL” continues in a weeks time!

WildCard Win VS Vikings

2009-01-05T17:44:00.001-05:00

Once you have entered the playoffs, the situation becomes much more simplified then during the season: if you win you go on, and if you lose, then you take a spot on the couch with the 20 teams who couldn’t cut it. As wildcard weekend came to a close, conveniently, with the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings, four teams were eliminated from the equation. On Saturday, the teams unworthy of being in the playoffs due to winning weak West divisions (San Diego Chargers in the AFC and the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC) eliminated the 12-4 Indianapolis Colts and the 11-5 Atlanta Falcons, respectively. In the early game on Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens ridiculed the host Miami Dolphins to resoundingly defeat them and move on, thus leaving the NFC’s 6th and 3rd seeds to do battle. And it would be the first playoff match between Brad Childress and his mentor Andy Reid.

And like their first season match in 2007, Andy won this one as well.

Every unit, from the offense to defense and special teams, contributed yards and points to the cause, and the Eagles outscored the Vikings in two quarters and held the Nordic Fins scoreless in every quarter except the second, as the Eagles defeated the Vikings 26-14. The offense accumulated 350 net yards and a touchdown, the defense supplied two turnovers and a touchdown off an interception, and special teams punched out 109 punt return yards against the worst coverage unit in the NFL and 12 points off of field goals. The team’s wildcard victory sets up a return to familiar territory, as they will be going to the Meadowlands for the second time this season to face the NFC’s top seed, the New York Giants, next Sunday at 1:00 PM. In their season match there this year, the Eagles defeated the Giants 20-14 on Sunday, December 7th. The loss would also stand as the only smudge on an otherwise perfect home record for the Giants, finishing 7-1.

Quarterbacks: Having many receivers and ball catchers has never been a problem for Donovan McNabb, and it certainly wasn’t a problem today either, as he nailed eight different targets. Despite being on the run more often then not, McNabb still managed to complete 23 of 34 passes (67.6%) for 300 yards with a touchdown, an interception, a lost fumble, and a 92.8 QB rating. The turnovers in question are certainly up for debate as to who is to blame: the interception it looked like his intended receiver Kevin Curtis gave up on it, and the forced fumble by Vikings End Jared Allen occurred when Tra Thomas forgot how to block him on the blindside. Despite these miscues and the fact that he was sacked three times, McNabb still was deadly accurate when given time, and even then, when he made his own time.
McNabb Grade: B (85%)

Running Backs: For the first 53:23 of the game, Brian Westbrook was held very much in check, not only running the ball but also receiving as well. But then all it took was one screen pass dump off, and that changed not only the complexion of the game but his impact on it as well. On the ground, Westbrook ran the ball 20 times for 38 yards and managed only a long of ten yards, and he had three receptions for 83 yards, including 71 on the only offensive touchdown of the game. Correll Buckhalter had two carries on the game, both back-to-back in the 1st quarter, for 27 yards and zero yards, while DeSean Jackson, a star on punt returns, had one receiver reverse for two yards. More incorporating of Buckhalter would be nice next week, but I was surprised to see Westbrook even got 20 carries for as bad as it was going for the most part on the ground.
Unit Grade: B- (80%)

Wide Receivers: As though it seems to be the norm to see every receiver spotted at least one pass on the game, the Eagles got two receivers who seemed to play a bigger hand in the numbers. Jason Avant led the unit with five receptions for 47 yards, including three catches on third down, while Curtis had four receptions for 49 yards. Rarely used Reggie Brown had two receptions for 17 yards while Jackson had one reception which was a dandy, going for 34 yards, while Hank Baskett had one reception for seven yards and could have had another later on if he hadn’t timed his jump wrong. It should be noted that in pre-game warm ups, that Greg Lewis somehow hurt his foot and while he did play, he wasn’t used much.
Unit Grade: B (83%)

Tight Ends: Statistically speaking, Brent Celek had the second best day of his young career (aside from the Seahawks game in week nine) as he caught six passes for 56 yards, filling in again for that human franchise tag, LJ Smith. It should also be noted that Celek appeared to be a much more reliable chip blocker on Allen then Thomas was an upright blocker on said end. And you would be shocked, oh yeah SHOCKED I tell you, to know we had a Matt freaking Schobel sighting, as he caught one pass for seven yards.
Celek Grade: A- (90%)

Offensive Line: Well, it’s pretty obvious you know when someone is outmatched, and it wasn’t like Winston Justice was out there against Allen. Jared ended up with three tackles, two sacks, two tackles for a loss, two QB hurries, a pass defense, and a forced fumble when he just walked right around Thomas. Not very good for someone who wants to be re-signed this off-season. But don’t fear, because while Jon Runyan didn’t allow Bryan Robison, the backup to the injured Ray Edwards any sacks, he did get two hurries and one of them was when Runyan ran him right into McNabb, forcing the errant throw to Baskett. And both Jamaal Jackson and Nick Cole were flagged, Jackson for holding which was declined and Cole for a false start. So, I guess the lone clean linemen was Todd Herremans, who was matched up against Kevin Williams. The guys are going to have to do a better job not only pass blocking, but run blocking against the Giants.
Herremans Grade: B+ (88%)
Runyan, Jackson, Cole Grade: C- (79%)
Thomas Grade: D+ (68%)

Defensive Line: It’s rare that a defensive lineman leads everyone in tackles, but it is extremely rare when the lineman goes into double digits in tackles. But such was life for Trent Cole, who was like Allen was for Thomas up against Vikings tackle Bryant McKinnie sans the sacks, as Cole had 13 tackles (seven solo and six assist) and one tackle for a loss. Mike Patterson was as equally as active up against Anthony Herrera, who was in for Ex-Eagle Artis Hicks, as he had six tackles and one for a loss, and Juqua Parker had three tackles and a tackle for a loss and recovered a fumble when Vikings center Matt Birk and QB Tavarias Jackson had a goof in their communications. Chris Clemons had one tackle and a pass defense, but auspicious by their absence from the stat sheet were Broderick Bunkley and Darren Howard. Trevor Laws had a penalty for being off-sides (how that happens on a tackle is beyond me) and Cole was off-sides as well. The line was a huge hand in limiting the Vikings offense to 148 rushing yards, and I say limiting because while Adrian Peterson had 83 yards rushing on the day, he had 40 on one lucky run, thus severely ballooning their numbers. In addition, there was at least four times during the game that the Vikings COULD have been flagged for holding but weren’t.
Unit Grade: B+ (88%)

Linebackers: It might appear as if Stewart Bradley leads this group, but make no mistake, Chris Gocong is just as impressive when he gets his chances too. Bradley led the unit with six tackles, a QB hurry, and a pass defense while Gocong had four tackles, one for a loss, and also a tackle on special teams. But their newest partner at WILL, Akeem Jordan, had a sub par game: while he did have four tackles, he whiffed the first tackle which could have prevented Peterson from running for the 40-yard touchdown and also had a very stupid roughing the passer penalty late in the game when the score was still 23-14. Tank Daniels had two assist tackles on defense and one tackle on special teams.
Bradley & Gocong Grade: A (93%)
Jordan Grade: C (75%)

Secondary: One is younger and one is older, but the safety duo of Quintin Mikell and Brian Dawkins have to be one of the most underrated duos in the league, and it is a shame that they didn’t get to team up fulltime until this year. Mikell had eight tackles and a pass defense which, likewise with week 16 and 17, should have been intercepted but the ball fell to the turf instead. Dawkins had six tackles, had the team’s only sack, a pass defense, and a forced fumble on Jackson which recovered by the quarterback. Sheldon Brown had four tackles and had two pass defenses, one of which went right in and out of his hands in front of receiver Bernard Berrian. The continuously demoted Lito Sheppard had two tackles while Joselio Hanson had one tackle. Asante Samuel, who was questionable with a hip injury, had one tackle and an interception for “pick six”, which was aided in large part due to Clemons doing his impersonation of the Great Khali “Tree Slam” on Jackson at the goal line. The continuous pressure and coverage schemes proved to be a nightmare for Jackson, who was held to 42.9% completion percentage and 164 yards passing.
Unit Grade: A (95%)

Special Teams: An outstanding effort from every corner of special teams except for one area. David Akers was the early game MVP prior to someone finally scoring a touchdown in a white jersey, as he nailed four field goals and two extra points, totaling 14 of the 26 team points. Sav Rocca turned back to his good punting self as he booted four punts, all inside the 20-yard line, and averaged 44.3 a punt and 44 yards net, due to outstanding coverage which allowed only one punt return for a yard by Berrian. Jackson was outstanding on punt returns, averaging 21.8 yards a return on five and hitting out on a 62-yard return on his first attempt in the game. Kick coverage allowed Maurice Hicks and Peterson only 21.9 yards a return, but by the same token, our coverage for Quintin Demps and his own returns were horrible, averaging 15.7 yards a return on three and maxing out at 19-yards.
Akers Grade: A+ (100%)
Rocca, Jackson, punt coverage Grade: A+ (98%)
Kick Blocking and returns Grade: C- (70%)

Coaching: A very solid outing by the defense up against the offense of the Vikings, outside of the one drive which put them at 14 points…yeah, that first drive for a touchdown was very fluky. Special Teams was great except for our inability to get anything going on kick returns, whether for lack of blocking, return ability, or both. And without going into detail and running down numbers for the offense, I will say that the trust in running the ball, even when it was obvious that we weren’t moving, is something we need to keep doing. We ran the ball 23 times, and while we only averaged 2.9 yards a run as a team, that was up against the league’s best run defense THREE YEARS IN A ROW, despite the fact that they were without Pat Williams and Edwards. It’s been a pretty notable occurrence that when we cannot run the ball we give up on it, and we really cannot afford to do that especially when we are ahead, which we were after we made it 9-7 in the second quarter.
Special Teams Grade: A (95% - Yes even with the kicks being bad)
Defensive Grade: A (93%)
Offensive Grade: B (85%)

Ripper’s Three Game Balls:
3. DeSean Jackson: Was huge on punt returns: had a total of 145 multipurpose yards, but 109 on punt returns and only 36 on offense.
2. Asante Samuel: Pick six on his interception ties him for 2nd most in post-season history: not bad for having a “bad hip”.
1. David Akers: Struck early and often when the offense couldn’t do it: struck from anywhere and anywhere and hit all four tries.
Honorable Mention: Brian Dawkins, Donovan McNabb, and Trent Cole (I’ll be honest, it was a pretty tough call this week as who to leave off and include here)

Stats and Numbers of Interest:
-The Eagles are now 2-0 all-time against the Vikings in the playoffs: both wins were the first of which propelled them to their two Superbowl appearances, for the 1980 and 2004 seasons.
-Andy Reid improved his playoff record to 9-6, the most wins and appearances of any one coach in Eagles history. In addition, he is now 2-0 against his former pupil Brad Childress.
-Minnesota was not flagged for a penalty until the 4th quarter when Berrian was called for a false start @ 7:31. However, three times the Vikings were flagged on their game ending drive after the Eagles made it 26-14, including two false starts on Ryan Cook and a holding call on Herrera.

One game down, and two more to go until we make our way to Tampa Bay. We have won in the Meadowlands during the season, but will that matter when the Eagles meet up with the well rested Giants?

Eagles VS Cowboys Game 2....The Destruction

2008-12-30T05:00:00.001-05:00

Same situation but different scenarios for week 17. A week ago, the Philadelphia Eagles needed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to lose to the San Diego Chargers in order to control their own destiny in the NFC playoff race, but the Eagles failed to live up to their end of the bargain, losing on the road to the Washington Redskins. This past Sunday, losses by either the Minnesota Vikings or the Chicago Bears (or even both of them) and then another loss by Tampa Bay would allow the Eagles another shot to get in. And when the Bears lost to the Houston Texans and the Buccaneers dropped their fourth straight game to the woeful Oakland Raiders, it made the Eagles and Dallas Cowboys game a “Win and Get In” situation.

And the Eagles didn’t ask for control…they took it away with force.

After an opening first quarter with the score at 3-3, the score was never close once after that point, as the Eagles posted 24 points in the second quarter and 17 in the third quarter on their way to a through 44-6 dismantling of the Cowboys, avenging a loss in week two on Monday Night Football in Irving. The funny thing is that the two touchdowns the team did score in the second half came from their defense with two fumble recoveries out of a total five forced turnovers.

At the end of the day, the Eagles qualified for the playoffs, entering in at the #6 spot with a 9-6-1 record and will face a team that the Eagles should know very well, that being Brad Childress and the NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings. The day and time for that match will be determined by Tuesday, from what we do know is that if the Eagles are going to do it, they are going to have to replicate the Pittsburgh Steelers of 2005 or the New York Giants of 2007 and win them all on the road.

Quarterbacks: Wow, I think someone needs to thumb through the record books for this season, because I can’t remember the last time Donovan McNabb had as few pass attempts as he did. Sure, McNabb had some scrambles and sneaks, but the defense was a big reason for that with their two touchdowns in the 3rd quarter. McNabb completed 12 of 21 passes (57%) for 175 yards and two touchdowns through the air, posting a 116.2 QB rating. And on the ground, McNabb scrambled three times for four yards, including a 1-yard touchdown keep to give us the lead, once and for all. And even on the sideline, there seemed to be no problems as expressed by the “Media” between him and anyone else. Later on, Kevin Kolb made the scene and, luckily, was not implored to throw the ball, but he did get on the board with two kneel downs to end the game.
McNabb Grade: A (95%)

Running Backs & Full Backs: There were a total 23 carries between our top two runners, Brian Westbrook and Correll Buckhalter, but it was the latter who got less carries but did more with his attempts. In fact, Buckhalter was the versatile one this game, not Westbrook, as Buckhalter jammed for 63 yards on ten carries, including a run good for 33-yards because apparently the “Great” Dallas defense must have been taking tackling lessons from Cleveland and Denver. Buckhalter also caught three passes for 59 yards and a touchdown from four yards out, totaling 122 yards on 13 touches (9.4 yards per) and a touchdown. Westbrook had 13 carries for 50 yards and two receptions for 12 yards, totaling 15 touches for 62 yards and a VERY questionable fumble. Kyle Eckel posted eight carries for 22 yards rushing, most of which came in the fourth quarter.
Unit Grade: A (95%)

Wide Receivers: Due to the lack of pass attempts, and on top of that the running backs hauling in five of the 12 receptions, passes were hard to come by for these guys. In fact, it was so hard that only three guys here caught a pass, as DeSean Jackson, who had four drops a week ago in Landover, had two receptions for 46 yards, including 34-yards on a nice inside route. Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis, the latter of whom missed the Redskins game, both had one reception.
Unit Grade: B (83%)

Tight End: Yeah, notice the “S” is missing off of that one, because we only had one tight end making a statement, and no, it wasn’t the overpaid LJ Smith because apparently he was “injured.” Brent Celek co-led the team with three receptions for 30 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown reception with 13 seconds to the half. Also, it should be made mention of that Matt Schobel was in the game, but if anyone saw him anywhere, please feel free to tell me.
Unit Grade: B+ (89%)

Offensive Line: Back in week two, the Eagles offensive line allowed five sacks to the Cowboys, and there must have been at least a dozen more times where McNabb had to fight off pressure in order to avoid taking another sack. But this time, Dallas managed only one sack and one quarterback hurry, both from Bradie James, and sack artist DeMarcus Ware, who came into the game with 20 of them, left with zero. The line allowed the actual runners on the team 4.3 yards a carry (we won’t include the two quarterbacks) and committed no fouls (although Philadelphia committed NONE as a team). For the season, the line, which has again seen three starting right guards, going from Shawn Andrews to Max Jean-Gilles to Nick Cole, allowed only 23 sacks on Kevin and Donovan. That is five less then they did in 2006 and a very sharp decrease of 26 from last year.
Unit Grade: A+ (98%)

Defensive Line: One would have to be quick to forgive Tony Romo, because if he felt as if he was stuck in some never ending horror movie where he kept getting sliced and diced instead of sacked and pressured, then it would be understandable. Despite missing Victor Abiamiri due to what I would assume was some sort of injury, seven of the linemen still enjoyed the mayhem they created, starting with Darren Howard who had three tackles, a sack, a tackle for a loss, a QB hurry, and one pass defense. Juqua Parker also had three tackles along with a pass defense, and Chris Clemons had easily his best game as an Eagle, posting two solo tackles, two sacks, two QB hurries, a tackle for a loss, a forced fumble, and a recovered fumble from Brian Dawkins off of Romo which he took for a touchdown. Both starting tackles Broderick Bunkley and Mike Patterson had two total tackles (one solo and one assist) and backup tackle Trevor Laws recovered his first fumble of the season, the one that Clemons forced. Trent Cole didn’t get a tackle but was always entering the backfield and had one pass defense. In all, the line piled up three sacks, three QB hurries, and helped to hold Dallas to 87 yards rushing on 19 carries. Of course, the actual runners of Marion Barber and Tashard Choice averaged 4.3 yards a run.
Unit Grade: A (95%)

Linebackers: Jason Witten, who has traditionally killed the Eagles, made seven catches again but was held to only 50 yards, thanks in large part to Akeem Jordan. Jordan, who had five more tackles then the rest of the linebackers put together and four more then Dallas’s leading tackler (James had seven), Jordan had 11 tackles for the game, including two of them for a loss. Both Chris Gocong and Stewart Bradley pitched in two tackles and Bradley had a “pass defense” right in front of Witten which was a dropped interception. Also making an appearance at linebacker was Omar Gaither, who lost his job at WILL to Jordan back before the Ravens game, had a tackle for a loss, and Tracey White had one tackle.
Unit Grade: A- (90%)

Secondary: If Brian Dawkins is not back in midnight green again in 2009, it better be for a DAMN good reason, like he chooses to retire, and not because we can’t re-sign him. In traditional rise up and take charge fashion, the crazy man who leads the fans in our fight song chant after scores from the sideline had five tackles, two forced fumbles, a sack, a tackle for a loss, and a QB hurry. Quintin Mikell had four tackles and two pass defenses, and was in prime position for another interception, much like he was in Landover, but failed to get it. Quintin Demps pitched in two tackles after Dawkins left the game in the third quarter, and Joselio Hanson had one tackle, a tackle for a loss on Roy E. Williams, a pass defense, and a 96-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown, which Dawkins forced on Barber. Both Sean Considine and Asante Samuel had one tackle, and Sheldon Brown intercepted his first pass of the season, and his first in 19 games, and had three additional pass defenses. All toll, Dallas had 233 passing yards, but only 191 of them came from Romo and, later, Brooks Bollinger, as Witten had a 42-yard pass to Terrell Owens. Speaking of, Owens himself was the only consistent receiver, posting six receptions and 103 yards, while “Superstar” Williams had two receptions for four yards.
Unit Grade: A- (90%)

Special Teams: Every looked really good here, for a change. David Akers booted three field goals, and while he did miss one, it was way late when we were up 44-3 anyway, and he drilled a 50-yard field goal after special teams’ forced the fumble prior to the half on Adam “Pacman” Jones. Sav Rocca got back to more charted land as he punted three times (twice in the fourth quarter) and netted 41.3 a kick, thanks in large part to Jones being held to two yards a punt return on two tries. Together, the team of Jones and Miles Austin averaged only 20.4 yards a kick return and Jones fumbled one away prior to the half, with Demps on the hit and Gaither on the recovery. Jackson even got some breathing room on punts, averaging 12 yards a return on two tries, including 21-yard on one. But, I wish the same could be said for Demps on kick returns, as he averaged only 11 yards a return on two.
Coverage Grade: A+ (98%)
Akers Grade: A (95%)
Rocca Grade: A- (90%)

Coaching: First of all, I would like to say again that we committed not ONE penalty in this game, so the staff gets a huge spike in the grading scale for that. Defensively, the team did allow a few big pass plays here and there, but whatever it was that Dallas picked up, the defense turned it upside down with a fumble, or a sack, or an interception, so props for remedying those situations are in order. Special teams was nearly flawless, outside of weak kick return blocking and one meaningless missed field goal by Akers. But to be honest, I am shocked at the offense once again, as it seemed to take a decided 180 from last week when he went pass heavy. The team “ran” the ball 36 times, although only 31 should count, and we attempted 22 passes with the one time McNabb was sacked. And it’s not like only one back did all the work, because Westbrook and Buckhalter split the main handoffs 13-10. Finding a balance like this through the playoffs could see this team going further then anyone could possibly imagine.
Offensive Grade: A+ (98%)
Defensive Grade: A (95%)
Special Teams Grade: A- (90%)

Ripper’s Three Game Balls:
3. Joselio Hanson: Huge open field tackle on a much bigger receiver (Williams) and the longer of the two fumble recoveries for a touchdown
2. Brian Dawkins: Massive game again from the “Old Guy”: appears to be playing again like he did in December of 2006 when he was defensive player of the month.
1. Chris Clemons: In my opinion, played the best game of his career here: two sacks, a forced and recovered fumble, and a touchdown spelled domination.
Honorable Mention: Correll Buckhalter, Sheldon Brown, Darren Howard, Quintin Demps, and Donovan McNabb

Stats and Numbers of Interest:
-Since 2000, the Cowboys are 0-9 in season finales. This even includes the 2007 season, when they finished 13-3.
-Tony Romo is now 5-8 in the month of December, and 0-2 in the month of January.
-The Cowboys first field goal sustained 8:15 off the clock: that drive eclipsed the amount of time they held the ball in the final three quarters (4:06, 8:05, and 7:24).
-The nagging and complaining about the red zone offense seemed to find a resolution, as the team had three red zone attempts and made the end zone every time, and they even succeeded every time from “goal-to-go” yardage. In addition, the team managed to complete 50% of their third down tries (7-of-14).
-With his game today, DeSean Jackson led all rookies this season with 898 receiving yards, and also had 62 receptions as well.
-The difference of 38 points is the biggest margin of victory for either team since 1961, when the Eagles defeated the Cowboys 43-7 (36 points).

Well guys, I don’t know what was more fun…making the playoffs or trumping the Cowboys in order to get in. But, once again, had Houston and Oakland not won, then we wouldn’t be getting in, even with this game that we had. So I thank them two teams, and am looking forward to our wildcard match in the Metrodome next weekend, whenever it might occur.

Eagles Ve Redskins Game 2 Review

2008-12-24T08:08:00.002-05:00

The situation was perfect for the Philadelphia Eagles: two AFC teams lent helping hands to gun down two of the Eagles’ main advisories in the wildcard race, as the Baltimore Ravens beat the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday Night 33-24, and then on Sunday afternoon, the San Diego Chargers beat the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay 41-24 to drop two teams closer to Philadelphia. And, going into the late afternoon game which was changed due to flex scheduling, all the Eagles had to do was get revenge on a team who had beaten them at home in week five. After all, the Eagles went to the Meadowlands and beat the Giants, so why not the Redskins in Fed-Ex?

And then, well, the offense turned Pre-Cardinals game again.

In a game that would have pushed the Eagles alone into the 6th spot in the NFC, the offense came out flat and stayed that way, save for one long pass on a field goal drive and the final drive of the game which came a yard short of the end zone with the clock running down from four seconds. The end result was a 10-3 Redskins victory and a season sweep of the Eagles by Washington. And realistically speaking, the Eagles can STILL make it in the playoffs, but the following things need to happen in week 17:
A) Eagles need to avenge a week two loss to the Cowboys with a victory at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday.
B) In a revelation befitting to the “one team has nothing to play for and the other does” quota, the Oakland Raiders need to beat the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay, which would take them from well endowed in the playoffs at 9-3, to 9-7 on the season.
C) Then, the Eagles record of 9-6-1 would trump the matching 9-7 records possessed by Dallas and Tampa Bay.

But, somehow, I can’t see Oakland winning on the road, and I don’t think that Sundays in January will have any events for the team, unless it’s watching the game at home from the couch.

Quarterbacks: There were not a lot of things out of the realm of reality that could have went wrong in this game for Donovan McNabb, except for throwing an interception (which could have been the case at least three times). If he wasn’t throwing the ball behind receivers, he was throwing them to ones who were covered and getting killed, or receivers would drop passes. For the game, McNabb was 26 of 46 (56.2%) for 230 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 70 QB rating. In addition, McNabb kept the ball and rolled out twice for eight yards and, on a sack, fumbled the ball for the game’s only turnover. I understand that the receiver drops were not his fault, but a lot of passes were being forced that either were incomplete or he was pitching them to targets who weren’t even remotely open by an inch.
McNabb Grade: C- (70%)

Running and Fullbacks: Remember when Andy Reid said that if we didn’t run for at least three yards a carry that he would abandon the run? Well, I’d hate to tell him this, but we averaged 3.9 rushing as a team and yet the ball was only taken 16 times and, of course, only 14 count because McNabb kept it twice on a rollout. Brian Westbrook was hobbled a little bit later on but took the ball 12 times for 45 yards and also caught six passes for 71 yards, including a 47-yard reception which led to our one and only field goal. DeSean Jackson had one rush for seven yards and had another which was negated by a holding call on Reggie Brown, and more disappointing was the one carry Correll Buckhalter got for two yards, while he had two receptions for 18 yards. And if it hadn’t been for one reception by Dan Klecko for two yards, I would have never known he was out there, same with Kyle Eckel.
Unit Grade: B (83%)

Wide Receivers: The loss of Kevin Curtis and Hank Baskett to injuries for this game is NO EXCUSE for a PATHETIC eight drops, six of them coming from this unit. Brown, who saw his first action in three weeks due to the injuries to the two mentioned out front, had four receptions for 47 yards, including the one at the goal line which ended the game, and contributed one drop. Both Jason Avant and Jackson had two receptions each, and while Avant had one drop on the game, NO ONE beat Jackson, who was credited with FOUR drops, including one where he beat DeAngelo Hall on the sideline and on the final drive in the end zone. And despite the injuries and receiver shortage, Greg Lewis had only one catch.
Unit Grade: D- (60%)

Tight Ends: Yes, LJ Smith DID lead the team with seven receptions, but he only averaged seven yards a catch, he dropped two passes, and completely missed on his blocking assignment on 3rd and goal at the 3, which forced us to go for the field goal. Brent Celek had one catch for eight yards and in my mind he could have been tagged with a drop but he didn’t get it.
Unit Grade: D- (60%)

Offensive line: The battle between Jon Runyan and Jason Taylor was often a struggle for Runyan, as Taylor had both of their sacks and the forced fumble along with a QB hurry. Tra Thomas held Andre Carter in check for the most part, although he still had two QB hurries. The line was not called for a penalty, but rarely was there a push up the middle for any runner who was lucky enough to get the ball. Still, aside from Taylor, the line did pretty well.
Unit Grade: B (85%)

Defensive line: Havoc was created by the defensive line, mostly by the defensive ends, and Jason Campbell could not step back without fear of getting smashed. Again arguably the best defensive player on the field, Trent Cole posted eight tackles to lead the line, along with a sack, a QB hurry, and a tackle for a loss. Mike Patterson had seven tackles on the game, all against the run and was a vital clog in the middle against Clinton Portis and Laddell Betts. Broderick Bunkley had four tackles along with a pass defense while rookie Trevor Laws had two tackles in the rotation behind Broderick and Mike. Victor Abiamiri had two tackles in the end rotation and also posted a sack, a tackle for a loss, and a forced fumble (which makes no sense because I remember Troy Aikman saying Campbell “Dropped the ball,” and he is NEVER wrong). Darren Howard had one tackle, two QB hurries, a pass defense, and a sack and would have had two if Chris Clemons, who had one tackle himself, wasn’t called for being “off sides.” Juqua Parker chipped in a pass defense as well, and Washington ran for 122 yards on 32 carries, although their 3.8 run per carry is awfully deferred by 14 yards a scramble for Campbell.
Unit Grade: A (95%)

Linebackers: The unit saw plenty of action against the run and in the form of passes out of the backfield and to the tight end. Stewart Bradley led the team with ten total tackles while Akeem Jordan had seven tackles and a tackle for a loss (three yards on Portis). Chris Gocong though was the busiest of the three all-around as he had six tackles, two pass defenses, and a tackle for a loss (two yards on Portis).
Unit Grade: A (93%)

Secondary: On 18 completed passes, Campbell only had 144 yards (127 after sacks) and no one receiver had a dominating effect in the game (Betts and Santana Moss had five receptions and 43 yards for Betts) but regardless the secondary still had two miscues. For one was Quintin Mikell who while he led the unit with six tackles and one QB hurry on a mad blitz, had a “pass defense” which should have been an “interception” in the end zone, leading to Washington’s 3-0 lead. Another was in the 4th quarter at 11:29 on a pass intended for Devin Thomas when Asante Samuel, who had four tackles for the game, dropped a sure handed interception, simply making THAT a pass defense. Brian Dawkins, attending his seventh pro bowl in February, had five tackles and a pass defense, while both Sheldon Brown and Joselio Hanson had three tackles each, and Quintin Demps had one on defense.
Unit Grade: B+ (89%)

Special Teams: Sub par overall, to be nice. David Akers made his one and only field kick, but Sav Rocca only averaged 39.8 a kick, and some sloppy punt coverage saw his net fall to 34.3 a kick on eight of them. Jackson had one punt return for seven yards and Demps had one kick return for 18 yards, while our coverage teams held Rock Cartwright to one kick return for 20 yards but Antwan Randle-El had 13.3 yards a punt return and a long of 36 yards. The X-factor was Ryan Plackemeier, who averaged 40 a punt and 34.1 net but put FIVE inside the 20-yard line.
Akers Grade: A (93%)
Rocca Grade: C+ (78%)
Coverage and Blocking Grade: D+ (68%)

Coaching: There is really nothing I can say about the defense, except for them two dropped interceptions. Special teams was not very good, especially covering punts and coverage for our own when we did get a shot. And, well, why am I not surprised that the old ways came back to life in this one? And by that I mean the totally titular play-calling again. All toll, we had 48 pass attempts including the two sacks, and 16 carries (again, if you count that McNabb scrambling was pass attempts, then 50-14). And I understand that passing might have been the best thing to do with Westbrook hobbled, but come on, we have TWO OTHER RUNNERS, and all the passes that were either missed, dropped, or nearly intercepted and we keep going at it. That is a poor job by the play caller, and I would be willing to bet 50 dollars that this imbalance means Andy is back on the signals again.
Unit Grade - Defense: A (95%)
Unit Grade - Special Teams: C (75%)
Unit Grade - Offense: D (65%)

Ripper’s Three Game Balls:
3. Chris Gocong: Very good game against run and pass.
2. Darren Howard: Should have had two sacks thanks to Clemons.
1. Trent Cole: Monster game again from a guy snubbed of the pro bowl.
Honorable Mention: Ryan Plackemeier (first Non-Eagle) and Victor Abiamiri

Stats and Numbers of Interest:
-Only two times did the Eagles manage to post net yard drives of 20 or more yards, 76 on a drive for the field goal, and 90 yards on the final drive which ended the game at the 1-yard line.
-Despite holding the ball for 33:14, nearly 1/3 of Washington’s time came in the 2nd quarter, when they held it for 11:12, managing only the field goal.
-Despite only scoring three points, the Eagles actually had more offense (275 to 249) but their 3rd down percentage collapsed again: where as over the last three wins they were 33 of 50 (60%) they were 3-of-14 in the game for 21%.

Well, even though every possible scenario exists for the Eagles to still make the playoffs, it becomes less likely if the offense that showed up in Landover comes home and shows up for the Cowboys. All this and NOW we have to hope that Oakland can beat Tampa Bay?

I think I will be going back to that “off-season thread” within the week with a full-on off-season landscape.

Eagles Vs Browns Review

2008-12-17T18:55:00.001-05:00

On primetime games, the Philadelphia Eagles have not faired too well, going back to the end of the 2006 season. They lost every game they played in the spotlight in 2007, and had lost every game leading up to Thanksgiving this year when they played the Arizona Cardinals. So, against a team that had a 2-0 record on Monday Night, having defeated the New York Giants and the Buffalo Bills on ESPN, you would think there would be some level of concern. And you also must factor in that the opposing team, the Cleveland Browns, were 4-9 and had nothing to fight for anymore, having been eliminated from playoff contention for at least two weeks.

Oh wait I’m sorry, we were playing the BROWNS…silly me!

Clearly a franchise in turmoil from the ground up, the Browns played like it as the Eagles kept the picture on the playoffs sharpened with a 30-10 victory in the Monday Night Main Event. And you must consider two more things before looking at that final score and thinking that is impressive as is:
A) The Eagles squandered two very good red zone opportunities to score touchdowns and if they had hit, the score would have been 44-10.
B) The Browns only touchdown of the game came with nine minutes left in the game, due to Kevin Kolb being picked off by Brandon McDonald. Combining the scenarios from A and B, the score SHOULD have been 44-3.

As is, the victory makes the Eagles 8-5-1 but does nothing for their playoff positioning, because Atlanta and Dallas both won on Sunday, and with the Falcons beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that now makes three teams who possess 9-5 records, a half game ahead of the Eagles. The only redeeming quality about the weekend were losses by the New Orleans Saints and the Washington Redskins eliminated the former team, and the latter might as well be eliminated.

Quarterbacks: As I had figured, we would see more of Donovan McNabb throwing the ball, and while his attempts went up from seven the week before, it was the deadly accuracy and that laser pass he displayed that wrecked the already crappy Browns secondary. In conditions overcast and then turning to rain, McNabb hit 26 of 35 passes (74.3%) for 290 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. And in his defense, while the pass was a little under where Hank Baskett should have been, an argument for McDonald getting the interception could have been Baskett gave up on it. But it was his only bad pass, which is FAR more then we can say about anyone else who “tried” to throw the ball. Kolb, who appeared for the last ten minutes of the game when we WERE up 30-3, gift wrapped the Browns only touchdown to snap their long 240+ minute touchdown-less drought, and was 0-for-2 with the interception. And in a well placed call but poorly executed throw, DeSean Jackson tried to throw the ball from the Wildcat, but was picked off by Sean Jones.
Donovan Grade: A (93%)
Any other “Thrower’s Grade: F (50%)

Running Backs & Fullbacks: In the Giants win, Brian Westbrook had 31 carries by himself. And in this game, we ran the ball 31 times again, but this time you would be hard pressed to find out that it wasn’t ALL Westbrook this time around. Correll Buckhalter, who missed the last two games due to a knee injury suffered in Baltimore, led the team with 55 yards on six carries, including a 27-yard run which set up the last touchdown we scored off of Ken Dorsey’s second interception. Westbrook had 16 carries for 53 yards and also three receptions for 14 yards, and Kyle Eckel, seeing all of his work running when Kolb joined the game, had nine carries for 28 yards, averaging barely three yards a carry. Dan Klecko had one catch for six yards, and a few impressive truck blocks.
Unit Grade: B+ (88%)

Wide Receivers: Every game there is someone new who creates an ethic mismatch for the defense (after all, pass distribution, which has been our offensive trademark, will do that for you) and this game it was the Jason Avant show. Avant co-led the team with five receptions and posted 101 yards, including a David Blaine approved magic trick where he was locked up with Cornerback Eric Wright and still made the catch. Jackson had five receptions as well for 77 yards, and Kevin Curtis had four receptions for 45 yards, also beating Wright, only this time cleanly in 1-on-1 coverage in the end zone. Hank Baskett had three receptions for 15 yards but 14 on one catch, while we had a Greg Lewis sighting, none the less in the end zone as he caught one there from 10-yards out.
Unit Grade: A- (90%)

Tight Ends: If it hadn’t been for run blocking, I would have forgotten LJ Smith and Brent Celek were even there. Both of them had two receptions, Celek had the first one of the game for a yard, and Smith caught one for 11 yards.
Unit Grade: B (85%)

Offensive Line: It is understandable that interior lines are going to struggle against Shaun “Big Baby” Rogers, but the fact that Rogers only had three tackles and a pass defense should bring some recognition to the interior three, more so Jamaal Jackson and Nick Cole. The Browns did get two sacks from linebackers Willie McGinest and Kameron Wimbley, but that is as much McNabb’s fault for dancing as it is the ethic mismatch the 3-4 defense presents. And the Eagles’ only penalty of the game was on Tra Thomas for getting a head start on the play. By the way, did you notice that not only did Mike McGlynn get in for I believe was Tra, but they were actually playing Winston Justice at right tackle for Jon Runyan?
Unit Grade: A- (90%)

Defensive Line: Despite only punching out one sack up front, it appeared as if Trent Cole was paying way more visits to Dorsey then he would have liked. Cole led the front line with four tackles, three QB hurries, and the lone sack while Juqua Parker and Broderick Bunkley had two tackles each, the former with one hurry as well. Trevor Laws and Victor Abiamiri each had one tackle each, while Darren Howard and Chris Clemons, without a tackle, were still around the ball. Oh, and here is one for you: the “Great” Jamal Lewis had 32 yards rushing and the team had 57 total.
Unit Grade: B (85%)

Linebackers: While the Browns employ four linebackers (Wimbley, McGinest, Andra Davis, and D’Qwell Jackson) not one of them was as good as Stewart Bradley was. Bradley led the team with six tackles, three of them for a loss including a hit on Lewis where he went right through Ex-Eagle center Hank Fraley and one where he blew up Josh Cribbs on a running play, and an interception with Dorsey treating him like a Browns tight end. Akeem Jordan had five tackles while Chris Gocong had three tackles but is more revered for his penalty which was not when he shoved Jason Wright down as he was leaving the backfield.
Unit Grade: A- (90%)

Secondary: Braylon Edwards was an ethic mismatch for whoever he was up against, and Darnell Dinkins dropped a pass as he was wide open, which could have made the game 7-7 early on. But other then that, pass coverage was pretty much air tight, leaving Dorsey to only 156 yards passing and 139 after two sacks. Sheldon Brown led the secondary with five tackles while Brian Dawkins had four, including taking a page from Stewart’s book and blowing up Cribbs on a wildcat run. Quintin Demps, Quintin Mikell, and Asante Samuel had one tackle each, Demps had a sack late in the game when subbed in, Samuel had an interception for a touchdown, his first as an Eagle, and both Brown and Joselio Hanson dropped sure interceptions. But the big question is, what happened to Lito Sheppard? Did someone forget to tell him there was a game or what?
Unit Rating: A (93%)

Special Teams: Well, seeing no blocked field goals was a good thing, as David Akers hit all three field goals and all three extra points for 12 total, while Sav Rocca was only needed to punt twice, both times in the 4th quarter, putting one inside the 20. Demps had three kick returns and averaged 29 yards a return, including a 39-yard return on the second drive, while fancy man Jackson averaged one yard on three punt returns. Coverage, meanwhile, held the dangerous Cribbs to 21 yards a kick return, and kept him with no punt returns as well.
Coverage grade: A+ (98%)
Akers and returns grade: A- (90%)
Rocca Grade: B- (80%)

Coaching: Plenty of blitzes were brought, and while they only got to Ken twice, it was pretty obvious he was rattled by it. Special teams was very good all around, except for a shank punt by Rocca on the second kick in the final quarter. On offense, we attempted 40 passes (although 37 of them were from McNabb, three from other “good” sources) and we ran the ball 31 times. But I can see why the pass was called a little bit more, because a lot of them were beating the Browns every which way but straight. I am just surprised that Buckhalter actually got six carries in his first game back in three weeks.
Coaching Grade: A (93%)

Ripper’s Three Game Balls:
3. Stewart Bradley: Led defense in tackles and was wide open on his interception.
2. Asante Samuel: First touchdown as an Eagle came after Jackson was picked off in the end zone to negate his mistake.
1. Donovan McNabb: Aerodynamic and laser like passes too much for the Browns: made only one mistake before the half with pick.
Honorable Mentions: Jason Avant and Trent Cole

Numbers and Stats of Interest:
-Two of our most beloved veterans reached game milestones by starting on Monday Night: Dawkins bypassed Harold Carmichael on the all-time list for most games played as an Eagle with 181 games. Also, Runyan played in his 200th career game between Philadelphia and Tennessee, and started his 190th straight game.
-For the third straight game, the Eagles completed over 60% of their third down conversions, hitting 11-of-17 for 64%. Also, the Eagles held the ball for over 35 minutes for the third straight game, posting up 37:08 in T.O.P.
-But, once again, the red zone offense was horrible. The team was 2-of-7 (28%) in the red zone, settling for three field goals and were picked off twice. Worse yet was the goal-to-goal situations, going 1-of-4 for 25%.

The Eagles took care of business by beating down a team that had nothing left to lose, being 4-9 previously. But the next two games are pivotal for the Eagles, and getting a helping hand in only one mere loss by either Atlanta or Tampa Bay will leave the sixth spot wide open with their names on it. If the Eagles can play the game that has won them three straight contests, then getting revenge for early seasons losses to the Redskins and Cowboys will be eminent.

Eagles Vs Cardinals Review

2008-11-30T14:30:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving is a holiday that, with the vast commercial and marketing appeal of Christmas, is usually overlooked once Halloween is over. Dating back to what is now the Massachusetts, Maine, and Vermont bordering states and with the Pilgrims and the Indians sharing feasts together, it has become a tradition of giving thanks and being with your loved ones. It is also a day of football: traditionally, both the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys always host games on this day. But starting a year ago, an idea was given to the NFL to host another game on the NFL Network at 8:00 PM. This year, the Philadelphia Eagles hosted the Arizona Cardinals on this day. And as a person, I am always grateful and thinking of those less fortunate during this time.

But as an Eagles fan, I am thankful for this BIG win.

The Eagles offense returned in powerful fashion, putting on a clinic against the 10th ranked Cardinals defense with a season high 48 points en route to a 48-20 victory over the visiting red birds. The Eagles got stoic efforts from both Brian Westbrook and Donovan McNabb, a man many fans had started to turn on after the past two games, and the play calling was finally balanced enough to levy power to both the left and the right sides. The defense also broke down potential MVP Kurt Warner with three interceptions, and they did it without pro bowl cornerback Asante Samuel, who was suffering from a neck injury. Joselio Hanson and Lito Sheppard did not miss many beats at all in his absence, and the pressure was non-stop, despite the defense not being able to sack Warner.

Quarterbacks: Knowing that he was under pressure to perform after being benched for the first time in his career, be it high school, college, or pros, McNabb delivered with a timely and well managed offensive attack. And the best part of it was that the offense DID NOT rely solely on him and his arm, unlike the past three weeks. McNabb completed 27 of 39 passes (69.2%) for 260 yards and four touchdowns. McNabb also put his good footwork to use and ran the ball four times for 24 yards, and while the process might not evoke anything from 2002 (the year in which he broke his ankle, came back, and still beat the same team) there is no denying that his mobility has gotten much better this season as it has went along. Kevin Kolb even got into the game later on, to hand the ball off and take two kneel downs under the two minute warning to finish the clock off.
Unit Grade: A (95%)

Running Backs & Fullbacks: Multiple jokes were made up in the booth between radio announcers Merrill Reese and Mike Quick as to what the Eagles did with Westbrook between Sunday and Thursday, if they sent to a spa every day or sent him to a resort (no mention of Tony Romo though). Whatever it was that they did, it worked masterfully, as Westbrook hacked and slashed his way through the line and defenders unlike any one game this year outside the Falcons game, as he picked up 110 yards rushing on 22 carries for a neat five yards an average and two touchdowns. On top of that, Westbrook also caught three passes for 20 yards and two more touchdowns, so overall he had 25 touches for 130 yards and four touchdowns. For the first time since the bye week when we signed him, Kyle Eckel made his Eagles debut and became Correll Buckhalter if you will, as he ran the ball six times for 27 yards, most of which all came in the 4th quarter. What’s strange about the use of Eckel is that he was subbed in at running back despite being a fullback by trade, but another former Patriot was already there in Dan Klecko. Lorenzo Booker, also active for the first time in weeks, ran four times for 21 yards, while DeSean Jackson had one wildcat run for six yards.
Unit Grade: A (95%)

Wide Receivers: Jackson was looked at as a prolific return man, but a very good quality often missed in him is his route running and pass catching skills. This is further evidenced with him being the most consistent receiver on the team week in and week out, logging six receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown. Both Kevin Curtis and the big man Hank Baskett grabbed five receptions, Curtis going for 59 yards and Baskett for 42 yards, while Jason Avant caught four passes for 25 yards and a touchdown as well. Noticeable in production absence was Reggie Brown, who had no catches but was out there for some plays, and noticeable in complete absence was Greg Lewis. Perhaps a lot of this has to do with recent dumb penalties he has committed on special teams over the past three weeks.
Unit Grade: A (95%)

Tight Ends: It’s usually a good day when four receivers get at least four grabs each, that means we are spreading the ball around. But when LJ Smith gets involved, including spinning off the longest offensive play of the game for the Eagles, you KNOW a lot of good things are going on. Smith caught three passes for 32 yards, including one for 25-yards, and Brent Celek had one reception for six yards. Deactivated again was Matt Schobel, a person that I am sure is not on the cheap.
Unit Grade: B+ (88%)

Offensive Line: The line has not looked this good overall since the first game of the year, opening up holes and pass blocking, and it also comes at the expense of a backup center having to be the third right guard on the season. Prior to the half, Max Jean-Gilles was injured and what preliminarily was being called a broken ankle, turned out to be a fractured ankle and torn ligaments in his knee. Not only will this injury sideline MJG for the remainder of the season, but it is an injury he is expected to take up to NINE months to rehab from. For the second half, Nick Cole took over at right guard, and he didn’t miss a beat, knowing the system and played left guard and center for the team. Only one time did the Cardinals get to a running back for a loss, and only one time did they sack McNabb. Only two penalties were levied to the line, a holding call on Jamaal Jackson and false start on Tra Thomas. But 186 yards rushing with a backup center at right guard looks really good to me.
Unit Grade: A+ (98%)

Defensive Line: As stated out front, no one got a sack on Warner, but the line helped to put a lot of pressure on him and force some errant throws in the form of drops and interceptions. Trent Cole, Darren Howard, Juqua Parker, and Mike Patterson all had one tackle each while Howard had a forced fumble the Cardinals recovered, with Cole providing two QB hurries and Howard and Parker one each. The lack of tackles is a direct result of Arizona’s inability to run the ball, or even have a remote interest in such an activity, with a total of ten carries for 25 yards.
Unit Grade: B (85%)

Linebackers: Whether he knows it or not, Stewart Bradley indirectly set the tone for the game. While he only had two tackles, he had the big pass defense that ended up in the hands of Joselio Hanson on the first Cardinals drive of the game. Akeem Jordan had three tackles and a recovered fumble forced from Anquan Boldin from Brian Dawkins, and Chris Gocong had one tackle. And aside from two freak receptions by Leonard Pope and Tim Hightower, coverage was pretty solid.
Unit Grade: B+ (88%)

Secondary: Considering that Warner is a well known gunslinger, being down Samuel was not an ideal situation for the Eagles to be in. But despite that, the unit held the most proficient passer in the NFL to 235 yards, and while he had three touchdowns, he was picked off three times. Quintin Mikell had six tackles to lead the team with an interception while Brian Dawkins had five tackles, a forced fumble to Jordan, and a beautiful center field interception on 4th and one for Arizona. Hanson, the man of the hour on the time clock, had four tackles and the first interception of the game, while Sheldon brown had three tackles, as did Lito Sheppard. Quintin Demps, who also saw extended time on defense, had one tackle there and a couple of spots where he was matched up against both Boldin and Steve Breaston with measurable success against the two.
Unit Grade: A- (90%)

Special Teams: Except for Jackson’s miscalculated error on a punt return, the entire special teams unit was impressive. David Akers kept busy with two field goals kicked and six extra points made for 12 points while Sav Rocca got back to strong punting form, only needed three times averaging 45.7 a kick and 42.7 net with two of them inside the 20. Demps, the only saving grace a week ago from a shutout, had 24 yards an average on four kick returns and Jackson averaged three yards a punt return, mainly due to former Eagle punter Dirk Johnson not being able to tell the side of his foot from his shoe front. Coverage teams were sharp too, holding dynamic return men JJ Arrington to 21 yards a kick return on EIGHT returns, and Breaston to four yards on two punt returns.
Unit Grade - All Facets: A+ (98%)

Coaching: I don’t know how long it has been since I can say this, but I have NO complaints with ANY coach on the team! I thought the defensive improvements in the wake of Samuel’s injury were stellar, and special teams played very well. And on top of that, the balanced play calling from the very first drive was not something I expected. Now Andy, Marty…is it TOO much to ask to consistently do this?
Unit Grade - All Facets: A (95%)

Ripper’s Three Game Balls:
3. Brian Dawkins: Weapon X played brilliantly again with his two turnovers and huge hammering hits on Cardinal receivers.
2. Donovan McNabb: Brilliant all around game from the man many fans were quick to crucify for the team’s failures.
1. Brian Westbrook: I’ve said it before and will say it again, when you get the man the ball, at 75% he is better then many backs are at 100%.
Honorable Mention: Joselio Hanson and Quintin Mikell

Numbers and Stats of Interest:
-With his interception in the 4th quarter, Dawkins tied the franchise record for most interceptions in a career with the Eagles. Along with Bill Bradley and Eric Allen, Dawkins now had 34 interceptions all time.
-The Eagles came into the game with an all-time record of 4-0 on Thanksgiving: the win tonight gives them a 5-0 mark all time now.
-Brian Westbrook, with four touchdowns on the game, was one away from breaking the record for most touchdowns in a game by an Eagle.
-David Akers eclipsed the 1,000 career point mark with his second field goal in the fourth quarter of the win. He now has 1,004 career points.
-The Eagles made better then usual in the red zone, entering seven times and walking away with six touchdowns. In addition, from the goal-to-go situations, they were a perfect five of five. Also, third downs were better executed, as the team went 10/14, good for 71%.
-The failure to pick up a sack in the game marks only the second time all year that the Eagles were held without a sack in a game.

Time will tell just how far this win will go to helping our own personal playoff picture. Now with ten days off until the next game at the Meadowlands, some players on the mend can take time to heal up and return for our second match of the year with the Giants on December 7th.

Eagles VS Ravens Review

2008-11-25T16:35:00.001-05:00

The possibility of losing, with teams ahead of them in the wildcard race and in tow beside or behind them, was one that the Philadelphia Eagles could not possibly stand to face. Heading into enemy territory to face the Baltimore Ravens, a team with an inside track on the wildcard picture in the AFC, the Eagles needed to beat the team that their former special team’s coach and secondary coach for a year had went to fill a head coaching vacancy. And like with Steve Spaguolo, who went to the New York Giants as a defensive coordinator, John Harabaugh has a one up knowing what to expect from the ever predictable Andy Reid.

It comes as no surprise, then, the end result of it all.

In one of the most lopsided and absurd losses this side of 2005, the Eagles managed to lose the football game in every possible facet. The Ravens defense scored more points then the Eagles offense did (7-0) the Eagles suffered their first blocked punt of the year, and again the defense was put on the spot, allowing three touchdowns on the game, two of them well earned and another not so much. The end result was a score of 36-7 Ravens and a further burial in the basement of the NFC East with every rival of ours winning on Sunday. And while the Eagles mathematically remain alive for the division title, the Giants at 10-1 would have to drop all five and we would have to win all five and finish up 10-5-1. Worse yet, ahead of the Eagles in the 5th spot is Tampa Bay at 8-3, Atlanta, Dallas, and Washington are all 7-4 in the 6th spot, Minnesota is now 6-5 with Chicago, and tomorrow night, Green Bay and New Orleans, both 5-5 teams, will play each other.

Quarterbacks: For the first time in his career, Donovan McNabb was pulled from the game and benched after the half. Yes, you heard me right, the coaching half of the “10-Year Odd Couple” pairing put the quarterback half on the bench for Kevin Kolb in the final 30 minutes. But a number to know here is 12.5, and that is the average of the two and their QB rating COMBINED. Kolb had a slight lead in the rating department for his half, completing 10 of 23 passes (43.5%) for 73 yards and two interceptions, including one in the end zone which Ravens safety Ed Reed took 108-yards for a touchdown, for a 15.3 QB rating. McNabb completed eight of 18 passes (44.4%) for 59 yards with two interceptions, a fumble, and was sacked twice with a 13.2 QB rating. Neither quarterback was impressive, and if the season is shot as I have it figured as, the question is who starts from here out then?
Unit Grade: F (50%)

Running & Full Backs: Well, the good news is that the team averaged over four yards a carry as a team running the ball, but the bad news is that we STILL only ran the ball 21 times (as opposed to 43 pass attempts). But I guess with the way Brian Westbrook was running the ball when he was in there, I can understand why. Westbrook, having claimed to be banged up yet again and questionable, ran the ball 14 times for 39 yards and caught two passes for minus five yards, totaling only 16 touches for 34 yards. It might just be my opinion, but either the injuries are taking a toll because he is shy about hitting the holes, or he is really missing Shawn Andrews THAT much. But with Correll Buckhalter averaging eight yards a carry (two for 16 yards on the game) it leads me to believe it is the former for Westbrook. Kolb ran the ball three times for 12 yards, DeSean Jackson had one direct snap for 12 yards, and McNabb had one roll out for seven yards. And everyone’s favorite tackle-turned-fullback Dan Klecko had two catches for 18 yards, which I am sure is a career high for offensive output for him. I am still strongly of the belief that if the injuries are bothering Westbrook so much, then on such a short week, he should sit out the Thursday game, we activate Lorenzo Booker, and him and Buckhalter do the running (when we do it of course).
Unit Grade: B- (80%)

Wide-outs & Tight Ends: Both of these are back together after the lack of production on the game. Jackson led the unit with five receptions for 47 yards and was also the fault of McNabb’s first interception while Brent Celek pulled in three catches for 26 yards, most of them from Kolb. Both Jason Avant and Kevin Curtis had two receptions each while our two tallest targets, LJ Smith and Hank Baskett, had one reception each. To me, the interception by McNabb to Fabian Washington is the only one a receiver can be blamed for (Jackson).
Unit Grade: C- (70%)

Offensive Line: Truly a mixed bag for this unit today. While they helped to average over four yards a carry rushing, they also allowed five tackles for a loss on backs as well, gave up five QB hurries and two sacks, 1.5 of them to linebacker Jarrett Johnson and a half to Trevor Pryce. And in rare fashion, every offensive lineman was tagged with at least ONE penalty EXCEPT for Todd Herremans: Jon Runyan was called for a hold (extremely questionable) and unnecessary roughness, Jamaal Jackson and Tra Thomas for holding, and Max Jean-Gilles for a false start. Like with the quarterbacks and offense as a whole, not very disciplined.
Unit Grade: C+ (78%)

Defensive Line: You would be hard pressed to find another unit on this team that, no matter what the situation is or what the score is, will continue to play regardless and play well. Trent Cole led the unit and finished second on the team with eight tackles with a sack worth 13 yards, a tackle for a loss, and a QB hurry while his bookend in crime Juqua Parker had six tackles and one for a loss. Mike Patterson had five tackles and one for a loss while Darren Howard provided three tackles and two QB hurries off the bench while Broderick Bunkley, who got injured and returned, had three tackles and so did Victor Abiamiri, alongside a sack, a QB hurry, and a tackle for a loss. Trevor Laws, our top pick in the 2008 draft, saw his most extensive action this year with Bunkley down, logging one tackle for a loss.
Unit Grade: A (93%)

Linebackers: In extremely odd fashion, Reid decided to bench Omar Gaither and start Akeem Jordan at WILL, citing the speed of Ray Rice and Willis McGahee for such a change. And from a statistical stand point it looked alright, but it did nothing from a playmaking stand point, as Jordan led the team with nine tackles and also had two tackles for a loss. Chris Gocong posted six tackles, instrumental vs. the run as well while Stewart Bradley had three tackles and a pass defense. And as far as I could tell, even with Jordan in at D and Tracy White and Tank Daniels getting numbers on teams, Gaither was nowhere to be found period.
Unit Grade: B- (80%)

Secondary: The Ravens managed 110 yards on the ground on 40 carries, limiting their pass attempts to only 26 (I know, the polar opposite of the Eagles) so not a lot was made of back here, except for one freak touchdown pass. Sheldon Brown led the unit with seven tackles and had a pass defense while Quintin Mikell had six tackles, a sack, a tackle for a loss, and a forced fumble which, by the time it was all said and done, cost the Ravens 23 yards since they picked it back up. Brian Dawkins had two tackles while Joselio Hanson had one tackle, a QB hurry, and a pass defense. Asante Samuel, despite getting injured twice and coming back once, had one tackle and did pretty well on Derrick Mason, but Lito Sheppard got burned alive by Mark Clayton on a 53-yard touchdown pass, and Sean Considine was had by Daniel Wilcox on a 1-yard touchdown pass.
Unit Grade - All not named Lito or Sean: B (85%)
Unit Grade - Lito and Sean: C- (70%)

Special Teams: Talk about a terrible time to have your first blocked punt of the season, how about being down 13-7 at your own four yard line? That’s what happened to Sav Rocca thanks to blown coverage by Gocong and Considine, he averaged 48.5 a boot (41.6 with the block counted) with two inside the twenty and one touchback, while David Akers only got to hit an extra point. In somewhat of a joyous and celebratory occasion, a very rare kick return touchdown was posted by Quintin Demps, as he kept us from being shutout in this game with a 100-yard return just short of the half, and averaged 44.3 yards a return on four, and the team averaged 29.3 with short returns by Avant, Klecko, and Abiamiri. Jackson averaged six yards a punt return, and the Eagles held Yamon Figurs to 7.5 yards a punt return and the Ravens to 19.5 yards a kick return as a whole unit. And after seeing yet another dumb penalty by Greg Lewis (like one previous when he ran over a return man against the Giants) I question his existence in life, let alone on this team.
Unit Grade - Kick return and coverage: A+ (100%)
Unit Grade - Punt return and coverage: B (85%)
Unit Grade - Rocca: C (75%)
Unit Grade - Punt blocking: D (65%)

Coaching: Again another game where the defense is left out to dry…why am I not surprised by this revelation? The punt block was bad, and punting overall wasn’t that stellar (again) but coverage for kicks was very good and our kick returns were excellent for a change. But about Andy Reid and Marty Moron, I think my accompanying video review of the game in the smack shake part of the site best speaks to the way I feel about them two and Andy’s bone headed calls, including benching Donovan in a must have game and not allowing him to find his bearing once again. I said a week ago that I was plain out pissed with him, and while that might still be the case, I am ready to mark him off as perhaps the most senile and predictable point in his career and is obviously becoming a joke of a coach. And considering we’ve seen the likes of Rich Kotite and Ray Rhodes lately, that is saying a hell of a lot. Furthermore, Marty Moron is no Brad Childress, and is only proving that with his lack of input and inept attitude.
Unit Grade - Defense: A (93%)
Unit Grade - Special Teams: B (85%)
Unit Grade - Offense: F (55%)
Unit Grade - Head Coach: F- (35%)

Ripper’s Three Game Balls:
3. Trent Cole: A sack and seven tackles on the game: non-stop motor and effort.
2. Quintin Mikell: Six tackles and the forced fumble on a sack.
1. Quintin Demps: Saved us from being shutout with his 100-yard kick return for a touchdown, and provided a wallop of a tackle on a Yamon punt return.

Numbers and Stats of Interest:
-Heading into the game, the Ravens were one of two teams the Eagles were undefeated against, going 1-0-1 against them: obviously now we are 1-1-1.
-In the last two games, McNabb has incurred seven turnovers (five interceptions and two fumbles) the most over any two game stretch in his career.
-The 30 minutes Kolb was in for surpassed his previous outings combined.
-Again, on third down the team only managed to go 3-of-13 for 23% while missing their one and only red zone chance due to a Kolb interception.

Well, many have been telling us that this loss to Baltimore broke our playoff hopes in half, and while we still are mathematically alive, I cannot see the team digging out of this hole, not with three division games left and an 0-3 mark in it this year. Another loss, and I will officially be looking to the off-season.

Eagles Vs Bengals Review

2008-11-17T20:49:00.000-05:00

One thing I have learned in the NFL season of 2008 is that nothing can be taken for granted, and nothing is ever perceived as certain. Reeling from a loss to the defending Superbowl Champion New York Giants and knowing that a pair of six win opponents await followed again by the Giants, many fans felt as if the Bengals game was a pushover. Many were looking forward to playing the Ravens and Cardinals instead of playing the team that lie right in front of them instead.

Therein was the biggest problem.

First, is was unbelievable that the Bengals would keep the game close with the Eagles. Then, it was unbelievable that the Bengals actually held a ten point lead in the third quarter. Then it was unbelievable that the game was actually going into overtime. Then finally, it was unbelievable that the two teams would actually not be able to decide a winner VIA overtime, as the game ended up tied 13-13. The tie effectively leaves the Eagles in the basement, as the Dallas Cowboys defeat of the Washington Redskins 14-10 pulls the teams into a 6-4 quandary, and the Giants smashing of our next opponent on Sunday, 30-10, moves them to 9-1.

Quarterbacks: Chopped into wood and thrown into the fire by his own head coach, Donovan McNabb looked like his usual unspectacular self to start the game, but unlike weeks past, he never seemed to find a consistent, white hot groove at any time. McNabb attempted a whopping 58 passes (and 60 when you include the two times he was sacked) and completed only 28 of them (48.3%) for 339 yards with one touchdown, three interceptions, a lost fumble, and a mere 50.9 QB rating. Now I know that McNabb is smart enough to realize that he can call an audible when he sees something he doesn’t like, but why would they keep giving him the pass when he was hit and lost a fumble and three interceptions on top of that?
McNabb Grade: C (75%)

Running and Full Backs: All I have to say about the lack of respect to your running game when the Bengals had the 22nd best run defense is this: 18 carries. That is all the more that we ran the ball all game, even with 33:46 of total possession INCLUDING overtime. Brian Westbrook had 14 carries for 60 yards and had three receptions for 11 yards, totaling 17 touches for 71 yards and no touchdowns. Correll Buckhalter had one carry for three yards but his lone reception was the 2nd longest play of the game at 44 yards, while McNabb had two yards rushing on a 4th and inches situation in the final quarter of regulation. In his hand off duty, DeSean Jackson had two carries for three yards and Dan Klecko had a catch for eight yards.
Unit Grade: B (85% due in large part to getting screwed in play calling)

Wide Receivers: It is hard to believe that McNabb missed 30 passes during the game, but some timely and costly mistakes came from this unit. Kevin Curtis led the team with seven catches for 64 yards but also tipped an interception and dropped two passes, while Jackson had four catches for 66 yards. Jason Avant had three catches for 32 yards while Hank “My new wife is a former girlfriend of Hugh Heffner’s” Baskett caught two passes for 74 yards, one of which went 57 yards and set up our only touchdown, while Reggie Brown caught the first completion of the game for a HUGE gain of zero yards! Something I find post-humorous is that Greg Lewis was listed as being subbed in, but he appeared nowhere to my knowledge.
Unit Grade: C (75%)

Tight End: Coming complete with his own cheering section (after all, he did go to school at Cincinnati) Brent Celek was ready to take on the Bengals and his own teammate LJ Smith. Both of them caught three passes while Celek had 25 yards to Smith’s 15, but LJ had the team’s only touchdown. That Smith actually got open in the end zone without finding a pitfall again is a minor victory in its own right.
Unit Grade: B- (80%)

Offensive line: When you do simple math, you can look at the fact that McNabb was sacked once for every 30 times he dropped back, which is pretty solid, but the numbers are deceiving. Despite only allowing two sacks, the line still allowed for three different linemen to knock down passes at the line of scrimmage and five quarterback hurries and four tackles for a loss on runs. However, the Eagles DID get Westbrook up at 4.3 yards a run and 3.8 as a team, and if they would have been released on the run, I think it would have been much better. But as it is, it was just another day for the big men up front with yet again NO penalties called on them, even though the consummate whole of the team got flagged eight times.
Unit Grade: B (85%)

Defensive Line: Another Cincinnati alumni came back to haunt the pro team in the city something terrible. Trent Cole was an absolute destructive force, pacing the team for one quarter of their eight sacks with two of them along with two hurries and two tackles for a loss combined with ten total tackles. Both Broderick Bunkley and Juqua Parker had six tackles each with Bunkley posting a sack, a tackle for a loss, a QB hurry, and a pass defense as well. Darren Howard again tightened his lead on the team’s sack race with two more, along with five tackles, three tackles for a loss, two QB hurries, and the games only turnover on a recovered fumble. Chris Clemons also chipped in a sack with a tackle for a loss and a QB hurry while Victor Abiamiri and Mike Patterson had two assisted tackles with Vic logging a pass defense, and Trevor Laws had one assist tackle. The guys up front made life for Ryan Fitzpatrick a living hell and were a BIG reason as to why the Bengals averaged 1.9 yards rushing as a team (30 carries for 56 yards).
Unit Grade: A+ (98%)

Linebackers: Fooled by a few miscues on pitches to halfbacks, the linebackers still did a very good job against the run and looked strong once again. Stewart Bradley, one week removed from a career high 14 tackles against the Giants, had 12 more against the Bengals (10 solo and 2 assist) with two tackles for a loss and a forced fumble while Omar Gaither came in with six tackles. Chris Gocong checked in with three tackles as well, while backups Akeem Jordan and Tracy White each had a tackle on special teams.
Unit Grade: A- (90%)

Secondary: It appeared that, no matter where he lined up, that TJ Houshmandzadeh proved an ethic mismatch for any corner, totaling 41% of his team’s receptions (12 catches) and 57% of their yards (149 yards) and their only touchdown of the game. Joselio Hanson had the most active game of anyone back there, whether for better or worse, as he led with six tackles, recorded a sack with a tackle for a loss and a QB hurry but was also the one who was lined up against “Who’s Your Daddy” on his touchdown catch. Sheldon Brown had five total tackles with two QB hurries, one of which led to a roughing the passer call, a tackle for a loss, and a sack while Quintin Mikell had five tackles (all assisted) with a pass defense. Asante Samuel had four solo tackles and a whopping FOUR pass defenses, two of which easily should have been picked off while both Brian Dawkins and Lito Sheppard have four tackles apiece, Dawkins with a tackle for a loss and Sheppard with a forced fumble. Allowing a mediocre quarterback like Fitzpatrick to pass for 261 yards is not good, but then again, TJ was the bigger detriment, considering Chris Henry had like 700 drops and Chad “Ocho Stinko” Johnson was quiet.
Unit Grade: B- (82%)

Special Teams: What a bad time for Sav Rocca to regress and show us his 2007 inconsistent side again. Rocca punted ten times but only averaged 36.2 yards a punt prior to his net, which was a woeful 31.1 yards a kick with none pinned in and one kick in the end zone. David Akers was solid again, hitting his two field goal tries and one extra point attempt, but once again, punt return blocking and kick blocking both were terrible. On four returns, Quintin Demps averaged a meager 17.5 yards a return, and Jackson averaged 7.2 yards on six punt returns, while coverage allowed Glenn Holt 24.3 yards a kick return and 7.8 yards a punt return between Antonio Chatman and TJ. Sean Considine led with four tackles, two assist and two solo.
Akers Grade: A- (90%)
Coverage Grade: B- (80%)
Returns Grade: C (75%)
Rocca Grade: C- (70%)

Coaching: First off start with some good: the defense, even though they gave up 261 yards passing but netted 226 after the eight sacks for 35 yards, giving up a total net of 282 yards despite being out there 41:44 of total game time is quite impressive. That said, the offense and special teams take a heavy hit in this game for the tie. And as you are about to see in my video about Andy and the offense exclusive to the “Smack Shack” forum of the site, I do not like the way things are going. Just when we thought that the days of 60-40 or even 65-35 pass-run ratios were gone, the ugliness only begins today: out of 78 total offensive plays, the team threw the ball 60 times, including sacks and ran the ball only 18 times! So, to save you the dividing as I have already done it, that is 77-23 pass-run. And this is remembering that Cincinnati had the 22nd WORST RUN DEFENSE in the NFL, NOT the pass defense. This is totally asinine and absurd and there is NO EXCUSE at all for this type of offensive play calling. This is something I would expect if Bozo and Doink the Clown family were calling the damn offense but…oh wait, you know what? That is pretty close to the case anyway, isn’t it?
Defense Grade: A (95%)
Special Teams Grade: C+ (78%)
Offense and Coach Grade: F- (40%)

Ripper’s Three Game Balls:
3. Stewart Bradley: Becoming the pulse and leader of the defense.
2. Darren Howard: Continues to impress off of the bench as #3 defensive end.
1. Trent Cole: Raised some almighty Cain returning to the city where he played college ball at.
Honorable Mention: Broderick Bunkley, Sheldon Brown, Asante Samuel, and Joselio Hanson (Heck, how about the whole D?)

Numbers and Stats of Interest:
-The last tie in NFL history came in 2002, the Eagles last tie came oddly enough 11 years ago to the day of the Bengals game. Even more odd was that we tied the team we are due to face next Sunday, the Ravens, 10-10.
-Due to a valiant goal line stand thanks to Donovan’s fumble, the defense stopped the Bengals lone red zone attempt, while the Eagles were 1-of-2 with a touchdown from 4-yards but one field goal. But once again, the 3rd down percentage was horrid, finishing up 3-of-18 for 17%.
-The Eagles were penalized eight times for 60 yards, the most amount of yellow flags thrown against the Eagles in one game this season.

I got one more thing to say before I sign off: as stated, McNabb missed 30 passes for the game, and 14 of these misses were pass defenses by the Bengals. And despite throwing three interceptions, against a more competent team like, say, the Ravens, we would be burned alive on the mistakes.

So then, have I told you how much Andy and Marty have pissed me?

Eagles Vs Giants Review

2008-11-10T16:44:00.000-05:00

RipperEagle Retrospectives:
Week 10: Giants @ Eagles
By RipperEagle (RE96)

As expected when it comes down to many of the battles between the Eagles and their NFC East brethren, the games are always going to be exciting, close in score, and feature things you aren’t going to find in other matches out there. And Sunday Night’s game with the visiting Giants was no exception to this rule: guys who weigh 264 pounds flying through the air, a defensive tackle picking off a pass and rumbling with it, and two silly challenges in a row by one coach and a challenge on another call which was unjust by the other. But the bottom line is that, right in front of the Eagles was their chance at their very first division win, and the opportunity to knock off the defending Superbowl Champions.

But like with our other primetime games, this didn’t happen.

The score went one way from the next: the Eagles had a 7-0 lead right away, then the Giants led 17-7, then the Eagles led 24-20, then the Giants led 36-24. But when all was said and done, the Giants defeated the Eagles 36-31 thanks to some silly play calling on 3rd and 3 and 4th and 1 to end part of the game on.

Quarterbacks: As has been the case with the past two weeks, Donovan McNabb got off to yet another slow, ice cold start. But unlike other units and players, he once again found his bearings to a degree once more this time as he hit 17 of 36 passes (47%) for 194 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. And he also led the team with 35 yards rushing on three carries. Thanks to the offensive line, McNabb had plenty of time to throw the ball, but a lot of the misses came as a result of forcing to someone who wasn’t open, or again, drops.
McNabb Grade: B- (80%)

Running & Full Backs: What a sad showing from the actual runners. The reason I say actual runners is because a receiver (DeSean Jackson) had more rushing yards then the backup runner and also two less then the starter. Brian Westbrook carried the ball 13 times for 26 yards and caught three passes for 33 yards, clearly a non-factor. Correll Buckhalter had two carries for 21 yards, but 20 of them were on one run. Dan Klecko, more then not, missed a good amount of lead blocks, and I got to wonder, where DID Kyle Eckel go, Antarctica?
Unit Grade: C (75%)

Receivers: Jackson was the team’s best receiver and third best runner: he had four receptions for 61 yards and ran the ball three times for 24 yards and a 10-yard touchdown run from the wildcat formation. Two receivers tallied 25 yard receiving and a touchdown with Kevin Curtis getting there on three catches, and Jason Avant on two receptions while both Hank Baskett and Reggie Brown had a seven yard reception, Hank using his size in the end zone to post the third touchdown.
Jackson Grade: A (95%)
Unit Grade: B- (80%)

Tight Ends: What a difference a week makes: last week, Brent Celek was a superstar, and this week, he had one notable lazy drop but nothing else. Instead, it was the returning LJ Smith who finished second with three receptions for 36 yards. Obviously, the Giants defense is much better then the Seahawks defense, so now the question is, was that a fluke or not?
Unit Grade: C (75%)

Offensive Line: No one can blame the big guys for not doing their job. Up against the second best defense in terms of sacks and the best in the NFC, they allowed the Giants NO sacks and very few hurries or pressures either. And while the running game wasn’t too proficient with Brian or Correll running, only one time did someone get hit in the backfield for a 1-yard loss. Jon Runyan provided the block of the game on Jackson’s 10-yard touchdown run. And why Nick Cole started instead of Todd Herremans, who later came back, is a mystery to me.
Unit Grade: A+ (98%)

Defensive line: Save a sack, this unit was abysmal. They were easily engulfed by the Giants offensive line on the run, and more then not, were simply manhandled and pushed around in pass rushing. Broderick Bunkley had seven tackles even though he needed an IV for cramping later on while Trent Cole had six tackles and the game’s only sack. Juqua Parker posted four tackles, Trevor Laws had two tackles in extensive action for the missing Bunkley, and both Darren Howard and Mike Patterson had a tackle, although Patterson ALSO had his first interception and recovered a fumble by Brandon Jacobs. True, the defense got four tackles for a loss of 12 yards on the Giants, but 44 carries, 217 yards, and 4.9 yards a run loom larger then that minuscule stat.
Patterson Grade: A (93%)
Bunkley and Cole Grade: B (85%)
Unit Grade: C- (70%)

Linebackers: Often thrown into the fray when (insert name of Giants running back here) got past the first line of the defense, the linebackers had their hands full, some more so then others. Stewart Bradley posted a total of 14 tackles and also a facemask penalty while Chris Gocong had six tackles, one of which was a wicked shot on Jacobs which forced a fumble, and Omar Gaither had three tackles and a forced fumble which went out of bounds. Somehow, Akeem Jordon got in for a while at linebacker at someone’s expense and had two tackles as well.
Unit Grade: B (85%)

Secondary: Not a lot of activity here, although when you can run the ball like the Giants did, I guess I can understand why. Brian Dawkins had seven tackles and a forced fumble on the game while Joselio Hanson had four tackles and Asante Samuel had three. Quintin Mikell had three tackles but was best remembered for Kevin Boss hurdling right over him while Sean Considine had one tackle and Sheldon Brown had an assisted tackle. Not really tested that much except in the red zone with touchdowns by Boss and Burress.
Unit Grade: B- (80%)

Special Teams: David Akers and Sav Rocca both came to work again, Akers hitting four extra points and his only field goal try while Rocca punted five times with two inside the 20, a rare touchback, and a net average of 32.6, but only because of two Dominick Hixon punt returns for 22 yards an average. Jackson never got to return any of the three Giants punts, but Quintin Demps averaged 27 yards a kick return on eight of them and fumbled for the first time this season.
Akers and Rocca Grade: A- (90%)
Unit Grade: B- (80%)

Coaching: We have not been known as a running team, so I want to know who the genius was who thought that calling runs on 3rd and 3 and then 4th and 1 to a guy who was getting shut down was a good idea. Furthermore, Jimmy better chew out that pathetic run defense before we head to Cincinnati, and Rory needs to get the punt cover unit back to the tackling basics.
Unit Grade: C- (70%)

Ripper’s Three Game Balls:
3. Mike Patterson: First career INT and recovered fumble
2. DeSean Jackson: 85 yards of offense and a rushing touchdown
1. Offensive Line: Great job against the 3rd best defense in the NFL.

Numbers and Stats of Interest:
-Did you know that our record in primetime games, going back to 2007, is NOW at 0-7, and that includes an 0-5 mark against the NFC East?
-This is the second time this season we gave up more then 200 yards rushing in a game, the first time was again at home to Washington in week five.
-The Eagles held the ball for only 20:10 in the game.

I apologize for not having too much to say guys, but this loss really hurt. In my opinion, this is the WORST loss of the season just a bit ahead of losing to the Chicago Bears in week four.

Eagles Vs Seahawks Review

2008-11-03T16:29:00.000-05:00

We all know the recent history of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Seattle Seahawks, and it is something that has been a bit of a nuisance for the Eagles and their backup quarterbacks. The reason for that, of course, was in the last meeting in week 13 of the 2007 season when AJ Feeley was filling in for an injured Donovan McNabb, and Feeley got confused and figured Lofa Tatupu was on his team, pitching him three of his four interceptions in a 28-24 loss at home. In 2005 it was even worse then that, as the now dismissed Mike McMahon and Koy Toy Detmer combined to bury us in a 42-0 blasting in 2005 when we were supposed to be honoring the late great Reggie White on a Monday Night game, again in December. And once again, for both the Eagles players and fans alike, the aura had to be over their heads that in recent years, the Seahawks and Mike Holmgren had their number.

The only difference was this time there were no backups to help them out.

Facing the Seahawks for the first time in over four years, Donovan McNabb showed Seattle what a difference it could make with the backups out and the master of the offense in the game, as his numbers helped propel an offense which scored two touchdowns in the second quarter. After this point David Akers came out for a virtual field goal practice session, as the Eagles made one mistake on the first defensive play of the game but struck back with 26 unanswered points to defeat the Seahawks 26-7 at Qwest Field in Seattle to improve to 5-3 on the year and continue on a 3-game winning streak. But the win only further complicates the NFC East picture, however, the Eagles moved into 3rd place going into week ten because at the same time the Eagles were beating the Seahawks, the New York Giants defeated the Dallas Cowboys 35-14. The Cowboys loss leaves them back a half a game in last place going into their bye week, and the Eagles one whole game behind the Washington Redskins, set to do battle with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football prior to their week ten bye with Dallas, and two whole games behind the Giants, who they host next Sunday Night on NBC.

Quarterbacks: When McNabb is on, he is really on. As of late, McNabb’s numbers have been stellar and his ability to fight off pressure and still get his passes to his receivers reminds many of 2004 all over again, a certain year where a certain team made it to the Superbowl. Yeah, in MY OPINION anyway, he is looking that good once again. For the game McNabb was 28 of 43 (65%) for 349 yards with two touchdowns and an interception which proved meaningless and a 96 QB rating. His accuracy is especially encouraging, since he started the game going 0-for-6. He also had two carries for six yards including a 1-yard quarterback sneak to convert a 4th and inches situation from the Hawks 35 which led to our second touchdown. If we plan on beating the Giants and pushing our way into the playoffs or even the division title, it is pivotal we keep #5 standing and give him time so he can cut down the opposing secondary. But that’s pretty much elementary, right?
McNabb Grade: A+ (98)

Running Backs: For two straight weeks, we have done what Brian Westbrook wants done. He has stated on many occasions that he would like to run the ball at least 20 times a game, and today he got 20 carries, it is just that he only got 61 yards to go with it. But it seemed as if wherever he went, he couldn’t seem to make anything work at all, in fact no one really could, which is a shame because the week before we had 192 yards against Atlanta. Westbrook also had a three way tie with six receptions for 35 yards, totaling 26 touches for 96 yards. Correll Buckhalter had two carries for two yards and a reception for six yards and Lorenzo Booker had three carries for zero yards, and DeSean Jackson had one receiver end around for three yards. All toll, the team ran the ball 28 times for 72 yards at 2.6 a carry, and the longest run went eight yards, which of course was Brian’s.
Unit Grade: B- (80%)

Wide Receivers: Separate from tight ends this week because of actual tight end production we will start here first. A huge welcome back to Kevin Curtis, who returned to the field a week ago but returned to playmaking this week as he caught six receptions for 83 yards and one was yard shy of picking up his first touchdown of the season. Both Greg Lewis and Jackson caught two passes apiece while Reggie Brown’s lone reception went 22 yards for a touchdown while the lone reception by Hank Baskett was accused by Seattle of not being a catch, a dispute which would soon cost them a timeout and the challenge. As though it seems a different receiver is featured every week, this time Curtis was in the spotlight.
Unit Grade: B+ (88%)

Tight Ends: I figured with LJ Smith out and the fact that the tight end has been invisible anyway that Brent Celek would just be an “after thought starter.” But that was FAR from the case as Celek turned in huge numbers in the league of Jason Witten and Antonio Gates and far and away from anything we are used to. Celek caught six passes for 131 yards and 21.8 yards a catch. What is even better is the fact that Matt Schobel, who hadn’t been active for weeks, was put in as the number two tight end and had two receptions for ten yards. Maybe it is rash, but I really think that, even when Smith comes back, Celek would stay the starter.
Unit Grade: A+ (99%)

Offensive line: First thing is first, and that is to address our newest pass catching threat, you know him previously as Todd Herremans, but NOW he has become “Hands Herremans”! An eligible tackle from 1st and goal on the Hawks one yard line, he caught his first ever touchdown catch to put us up for good at 14-7. That said though, the actual play of the offensive line was average in the running game but pretty good in the pass game, although McNabb was hurried seven times, all by defensive linemen for Seattle and sacked once, although THAT was more his fault due to his dancing at the Hawks 4-yard line. Early on, the line was not able to move the front line of the Seahawks minus Patrick Kearney who was out with a shoulder injury, but by the time they could, the running game was pretty well grounded anyway. Not getting tagged with a penalty was a plus though, and the pass protection was solid for the most part, but they HAVE to start using more of a push between a 360-LB Max Jean-Giles and a 350-LB Jamaal Jackson for the running backs. I know, Shawn is hurt, but come on, Max is even BIGGER then he is!
“Hands Herremans” Grade: A+ (100%)
Pass Blocking Grade: A- (90%)
Run Blocking Grade: C (75%)

Defensive line: Even though the line forced three of the team’s four sacks, it seemed as if they COULD have come away with about six or seven sacks. And as evidenced by them forcing six of the team’s eight quarterback hurries, even WHEN they were not sacking Seneca Wallace, seemed to be in his face all the time. More so Darren Howard, who led all linemen with four QB hurries, three tackles, two sacks, and two tackles for a loss while Broderick Bunkley pulled in three tackles as well. Both Trent Cole and Mike Patterson posted two tackles each, with Cole adding a tackle for a loss and Patterson a tackle for a loss and a quarterback hurry. Chris Clemons, Juqua Parker, and Victor Abiamiri had one tackle each, Parker and Abiamiri posting pass defenses and Clemons a tackle for a loss, a QB hurry, and a sack on the very last play of the game. The three sacks forced only tell a third of the story: another third would be the hurries and pressures, and the other third would be their ability to contain the duo of Maurice Morris and Julius Jones, who were both held to a combined 84 yards between them and as a team they had 86 yards.
Unit Grade: A (95%)

Linebackers: For the past two weeks, the linebackers haven’t been harassed by a tight end and John Carlson and Owen Schmidt, two rookies from the Hawks 2008 class, were held to a combined five catches for 40 yards. Omar Gaither and Chris Gocong both co-led the team with six tackles each while Gaither piled on three tackles for a loss, a sack, and a QB hurry. In fact, he was the first defensive player to post a sack in the fourth quarter for the Eagles. Stewart Bradley had four tackles and looked pretty much as a stand by watching the outside linebackers do their thing, as all three reserve linebackers, Tracy White, Akeem Jordon, and Tank Daniels, all figured in on special teams along with Gaither and Gocong as well.
Unit Grade: B+ (88%)

Secondary: Wallace threw for 169 yards, which is a very good number for the secondary, but then you take their ONLY play which scored a touchdown away from them, Wallace had 79 yards instead! That pass was to Koren Robinson who burned Lito Sheppard, who looked great against the Falcons, to the ground. Quintin Mikell had four tackles with a quarterback hurry and a pass defense as Sheldon Brown, Brian Dawkins, and Sheppard all had two tackles with Brown posting two pass defenses and Dawkins one. Joselio Hanson and Asante Samuel both had one tackle with Samuel posting two pass defenses.
Everyone except Sheppard Grade: A (95%)
Sheppard Grade: DD (For Donkey Douche)

Special Teams: With Akers hitting four field goals on four tries, one would believe that his kicking struggles are under control, and one of them was from his dreaded 40-49 range as well. Sav Rocca kept us in the game early with his masterful punting and as a reward, was really not needed as much from the 2nd quarter on when we finally started scoring points, punting five times and averaging 47 yards a punt, netting 41.4 and putting two inside the twenty. Quintin Demps only saw two kick returns (both in the first) but averaged 31.5 a return and Jackson had ten yards a punt return. The kick coverage team allowed Josh Wilson and Josh Forsett to 24.6 yards a kick return and Forsett to seven yards a kick return while Gocong and White both had two tackles while Sean Considine, Daniels, Jordan, Gaither, and Demps all had one tackle each.
Kicking and Punting Grade: A+ (98%)
Returns and Punt Coverage Grade: B+ (88%)
Kick Coverage Grade: B (83%)

Coaching: For starters, the defense gave up only 233 net yards of offense and forced ELEVEN punts on Seattle, and don’t forget once again, 90 yards on one play. As is, they averaged 4.2 yards per play on offense on 55 plays, but removing the play where Sheppard appeared to be daydreaming about his off-season trade, they averaged 2.6 yards a play, a whopping 1.6 yard difference on one play! So they done well, and the special teams unit work speaks for its self. But once again, I want to talk offense and play calling, and no, I am NOT here to bash it this week. For the record, it was 72 total plays, 44 passes (including one sack) and 28 runs, making it 61-39 pass-run. But it wasn’t just the numbers Donovan had that will allow me to look past this, but also the fact that the offensive line couldn’t get much of a run support push until way later on. This week, the pass happy game plan will be okayed by me (you are SO lucky Andy Reid!)
Defense Grade: A+ (99%)
Special Teams Grade: A (93%)
Offense Grade: B (85%)

Ripper’s Three Game Balls:
3. Darren Howard: Apparently he was nothing more then a name and phantom in figure to Seattle: has proven the people who were Anti-Howard and Pro-McDougle in training camp to look like idiots (innocent whistling).
2. Donovan McNabb: Only smudge was the interception, but he takes a back seat to the shocking superstar of the game.
1. Brent Celek: Breakout game from a tight end was something we didn’t expect: our future starter might be closer then we think he is.
Honorable Mention: “Hands Herremans” and Kevin Curtis

Numbers and Stats of Interest:
-On their opening drive, the Seahawks went 90-yards for a touchdown. On their following 12 drives, they punted 11 times, combining for 143 yards for the final 58:11 of the game. In addition, only three of their 13 drives managed to enter Eagles territory, and their best one, to our 22-yard line, ended when the game did.
-The Eagles posted the most lopsided advantage in time of possession to date this year, holding the ball 37:15 of the 60 minutes and never ceding any advantage to Seattle in any single quarter of the game.
-On the opening three drives for the Eagles, they combined for six yards of offense and no points: on the next 11 drives, they combined for 413 yards, four field goals, two touchdowns, and the only interception of the game.
-Again the red zone offense was merely pedestrian, along with the 3rd down efficiency rating: the red zone offense was 1-of-3 today, with the Herremans touchdown, a field goal, and an interception, and the Eagles, coming in only 39% on 3rd down attempts, went 6-of-16 for 38% once again.
-On the flip side, Seattle never ONE saw our red zone on 12 drives.
-Poor timeout management and penalties spruce hurt Seattle just as much: even though they only had four penalties, two came back to back in the 3rd quarter on a 4th and 10 and then 4th and 15 (a false start on left guard Mike Wahle, and then a delay of game on punter Jon Ryan).

The Eagles going into Sunday Night Football with the Giants with a 5-3 record and a three game winning steak is a huge plus. But I do not believe that the team is going to fare very well if we start off slowly like we have against Atlanta and Seattle. New York is going to bury us if we do that: here is hoping we can play football for a full sixty minutes next week and pull closer to the top of the division.

Eagles Vs Falcons Review

2008-10-27T15:46:00.000-04:00

RipperEagle Retrospectives:
Week 8: Falcons @ Eagles
By RipperEagle (RE96)

The numbers spoke for themselves, and just about any loyal Eagles Fan knows the drill: after the bye week under Head Coach Andy Reid, the Eagles have not lost to any opponent coming into their week eight game with Atlanta, after having week seven off. It didn’t matter who the opponent was, or where the opponent was at, or in what city we were partaking football action in. And at the beginning, it appeared as if that nine game streak would be challenged as the offense was ice cold, starting with Donovan McNabb, lack of running ability, and some receiver drops as the Falcons went up early. Then, a few plays started popping and soon enough, the offense was ejecting heat and smoke flames every which way at the Falcons.

And soon enough, Atlanta would become another number.

In what could be described as a modern day miracle, the Eagles offense came as humanly close to even as possible in the play calling department, and it paid off in huge dividends as the team punched in three rushing touchdowns. And the defense allowed two touchdowns but it kept the door closed when it had to as the Eagles improved to over 500 with a 27-14 win over the visiting Falcons. After spotting the Falcons a seven point lead, the Eagles posted 20 points unanswered, thanks in large part to returning pro bowl back Brian Westbrook. And then after Atlanta scored their lone 2nd half touchdown, it was once more Westbrook playing the role of Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy and slaying the Vampire one last time with two of the touchdowns, McNabb plowing his way for the other. But still, the win doesn’t allow for the Eagles to leave the basement of the NFC East anytime soon as Washington and New York won on the road, and Dallas won at home, making the entire division four and zero, all in out of division matches, three inner-NFC.

Quarterbacks: It took McNabb a while to find his bearings, starting off at 3-of-11 early on in the game, but he would eventually get into his groove and manufactured three total touchdown drives and two field goal tries. Most astounding was the fact that McNabb has once more become bold and reckless out there, as he actually took six carries for 25 yards and the best one was his three yard dive right up the middle for the first touchdown of the game to tie it at seven each. His passing numbers were 19 of 34 (56%) for 253 yards with no touchdowns but no interceptions either with a QB rating of 79.7. In my honest opinion, I think the usage of more running plays allowed him to become more consistent as the game went on, finishing 16 of 23 after that poor opening quarter, although he had our only turnover with a fumble.
McNabb Grade: A (93%)

Back Field: Whether you refer to him as “The Wizard” or “B-West” or whatever you wish, just call Westbrook the guy who gets it done. The simple fact that he got the ball 22 times to run it is a sign that perhaps he is far healthier then we originally thought, as he ripped off a career best 167 yards rushing for an impressive 7.6 yards a run and two touchdowns, one from 16 and the other from 39 after the late mishandled punt by Adam Jennings. And what would the typical Westbrook outing be without some pass receptions as he hauled in six for 42 yards, so his total numbers were 28 touches for 209 yards and two touchdowns. Correll Buckhalter saw his action limited, two weeks removed from topping over 90 yards rushing in San Francisco, as he had four carries for zero yards and two catches for 29 yards. Perhaps the most infuriating thing was the fact that a rare Dan Klecko reception for good yardage was negated by a penalty on Tra Thomas.
Unit Grade: A+ (100%)

Wide Outs and Tight Ends: It has occurred to me that I have grand ideas for a mid week column between games, entitled “Ripper’s Unsolved Mysteries: Wide Receivers Edition.” It sincerely and truly boggles my mind as to how someone like Hank Baskett can bounce in numbers so oddly from week to week and how, even though it says they played, Greg Lewis and Jason Avant were invisible to the human eye, calling on a microscope to find them out there. The Eagles welcomed back Kevin Curtis for his first game of the season as he co-led the unit with three catches, along with DeSean Jackson, while Baskett had only one lousy catch. Both tight ends LJ Smith and Brent Celek had two receptions as well, and Smith was actually called out as laying safeties and corners out for Westbrook. That was, of course, prior to having his bell rung on a cheap shot by Lawyer Malloy. And yet again, Matt Schobel wasn’t even activated for the game…I would tell you I am surprised by this, but I am sure that you already know I am sarcasm tired there.
Unit Grade: B- (80%)

Offensive line: Well, prior to the game we found out that pro bowl guard Shawn Andrews had successful back surgery and will miss about three months. This, of course, will put him to the middle of January for him to even start practicing on that timetable, and the debate was over whether to put him on the IR or not. But after what the offensive line did against Atlanta and the rushing yards we got, I would be inclined to put him on the IR because they look just fine without him. The line forged the way for 192 rushing yards at six yards a carry for the team while allowing only two sacks and two penalties on the left side of the line (Thomas for illegal hands to the face and Todd Herremans for holding) while center to right, including Shawn’s replacement Max Jean-Gilles, were scotch. They have allowed 12 sacks now in seven games, less then two a game, and have rarely looked better.
Unit Grade: A (95%)

Defensive line: The line knew it had a big task on their hands, and the way they were going against the run as of late, it would be natural to question their ability to stop the NFC’s best running offense (and second behind the Titans). But as with the first four games of the season, the run defense came up huge again, thanks in large part to the mismatch at end between Trent Cole and aging tackle Todd Weiner, who was in due to Sam Baker having an injury. Cole played a large hand in stopping the run, leading the team with six tackles and one for a loss while Broderick Bunkley had three tackles and another for a loss. Darren Howard had a tackle, which turned out to be the line’s only sack along with a tackle for a loss and a QB hurry, while Juqua Parker, Mike Patterson, and Trevor Laws all had one solo tackle each.
Unit Grade: A- (90%)

Linebackers: Taking center stage was not Omar Gaither nor was it Stewart Bradley, rather, it was Chris Gocong. Yeah I know, that sounds kind of anticlimactic huh? But Gocong was the focal point of the attack from the backers today, as he posted four tackles (which it usually takes him four games to get that many tackles at any rate) with two tackles for a loss, a QB hurry, and the team’s first sack of the game, and a special teams tackle as well. Bradley had four tackles from the middle and Gaither had two tackles from WILL, while Akeem Jordan stole the show on special teams along side Tank Daniels and Tracy White, the second newest Eagle on the team (behind Kyle Eckel, who did not play in the game). The three starters had a huge hand in helping to hold the Falcons to a team total 77 yards rushing, and Michael Turner to only 58 of them yards.
Unit Grade: A- (90%)

Secondary: Just to show you how important Roddy White is to their offense look at the numbers from the game: Matt Ryan completed 23 passes, eight of them to White (and 15 to six other targets) and 113 yards for White (as opposed to 164 yards) and two touchdowns (none for anyone else). And that doesn’t even include the other looks his way that were dropped, knocked down, intercepted, or the one where White was called for pass interference. Brian Dawkins, Sheldon Brown, and Joselio Hanson (yep, you saw that right) had five tackles each to lead the unit with Brown notching a pass defense. Asante Samuel had four tackles for the game, along with three pass defenses and an interception while Quintin Mikell had four tackles. And Lito Sheppard finally woke up, posting two tackles, FOUR pass defenses, and his first interception of the year despite White interfering with him in the end zone.
Unit Grade: B (85%)

Special Teams: Coverage was the name of the game (well, on the Falcons returns anyway) as they held the Falcons to 17 yards a kick return and 5.5 yards a punt return, and it was Jordan who sealed the fate of the Falcons with the recovered muffed punt at the Falcons 37 with 2:22 left in the game. Sean Considine, Daniels, and Jordan all had two tackles on special teams, but our returns were terrible, with an average of 15.7 yards a kick return between Quintin Demps and Buckhalter, and a negative 1.7 yards a return on punts for Jackson. However, David Akers hit three extra points and two field goals for nine points, and Sav Rocca punted seven times, averaging 40.9 a boot and netting 37.7 with two inside the 20.
Kick and Punt Coverage Grade: A+ (100%)
Kicking and Punting: A- (90%)
Return Game: D+ (68%)

Coaching: First of all, my hat is off to the team of Reid and Marty Mornhenwheg for putting together a more balanced attack (because according to Merrill and Mike, both men are calling the plays now) as 66 total plays produced 34 pass attempts and 32 rushes, at 52-48 pass-run ratio, certainly one that I think we can ALL live with from week to week. Secondly, the run defense did much better because some of our drives were longer then they had been, well, at least from the second quarter on. And third of all, Rory has to get the guys to block for our own return men, otherwise, they did a heck of a job.
Coaching Grade: A (93%)

Ripper’s Three Game Balls:
3. Akeem Jordan: Made the play that helped to bury the game once and for all.
2. Lito Sheppard: Finally came out to play with his first pick and four pass defenses.
1. Brian Westbrook: An unanimous decision by Ripper and his evil and good sides: 209 yards of offense and two touchdowns shows why we are so much better with both him and Donovan in the backfield at the same time.
Honorable Mention: Asante Samuel and Donovan McNabb

Numbers and Stats of Interest:
-Coach Andy Reid won his 100th game as the leader of the Eagles, including playoffs, in defeating the Falcons.
-The Team’s 192 rushing yards is easily the highest such total of the season to date, easily dwarfing their previous high of 106 yards in week four at Chicago.
-Again, the red zone offense encounters a 1-yard line situation and has to settle for a field goal, going 2-of-4 down inside the red zone: so much for the fade.
-The Eagles are now 10-0 after the bye week under Reid: this officially calculates to 10% of his career wins in Philadelphia.

A very solid win by the team, although once again it was made more exciting then it had to be when the Falcons cut the lead to 20-14. Next up is a trip to Seattle to face the Seahawks, who beat us last year 28-24 at the Linc. However, THAT was AJ Feeley and his four interceptions leading that team, but THIS team will be lead by McNabb into Qwest Field.

Bye Week Blues

2008-10-20T04:18:00.002-04:00

Having a by week has it's pros and cons. First you get some rest. You have time to sit back and focus on what's going wrong and come up with a plan to fix it. There is also the health of the players. Players who were banged up get extra time to heal. It is a good thing to have a bye week when things are going wrong. But when a team is rolling, the bye week could change their momentum.

One of the cons of the bye week is for the fans. I am a football lover in general, but not having the Eagles play this week pained me. There is nothing more I love to do on a Sunday than watch or listen to my team. Whether they win or lose. It's my passion for the team.

What can we expect from the Eagles after the bye? I'm not sure. They cut RB Tony Hunt and brought in another LB, Tracy White, which gives us seven on the roster. Now I don't know what the Eagles are thinking here. Maybe with Hunt gone they are looking at Klecko at FB, move Howard to DT and move Gocong to DE. With all these moves it sounds like a plan. But who replaces Gocong at SAM? Jordan? Daniels? White? Do they move Bradley over and insert Mays at MIKE where he played great in preseason? Time will tell.

Health is a key thing after the bye. The Eagles will have WR Kevin Curtis back. RB Brian Westbrook will be back. DE Victor Abriami will be back. And hopefully OG Shawn Andrews will be back. With all the injuries healed, look for a more explosive Eagle offense.

This week the Eagles play the Falcons, who also had a bye week. Both teams will be refreshed and ready to go. With the NFC East being the tough division it is, the Eagles need to win every non divisonal game to stay within reach. And it starts this week against the Falcons.

Eagles Vs 49ers Review

2008-10-13T18:03:00.001-04:00

Going out to San Francisco the week prior to the bye, the Philadelphia Eagles knew that they needed this game. Not only would be going 2-4 into the bye be a bad situation, but their division rivals weren’t losing many games, only two combined actually up until Sunday. So realizing that they were missing a few key starters and some depth players, the Eagles took the fight to the host 49ers and pulled their record to even after six games by beating the 49ers in Candlestick Park. And they did it in vintage 2008 Eagles fashion as well.

Which means, you know, it was FAR more exciting then it had to be.

The Eagles dominated early on, holding an 11 point lead at one point (17-6) but from the final minute of the second quarter until the beginning of the 4th, it was all 49ers with 20 unanswered points to enter the final frame of play with a 26-17 lead. But then in the fourth quarter, every unit clicked for the Eagles, namely the defense, as they jolted the 49ers for 23 unanswered points and three turnovers en route to a 40-26 high scoring affair in San Fran. This game had everything you could ask for: a combined eight field goals made, a touchdown thanks to a blocked field goal for San Fran, and then an interception for a touchdown by the Eagles to ice the game for good. Oh, and a pretty competitive match up between a career back up and an elite running back in the league (Correll Buckhalter Vs. Frank Gore).

The Eagles bye week couldn’t come at a better time, with injured starters Kevin Curtis, Reggie Brown, and Brian Westbrook all expected back in two weeks time when we play host to the red hot Atlanta Falcons. The only one uncertain will be Shawn Andrews, who missed his fourth consecutive game with back issues.

Quarterbacks: A few days after saying that things had to change and stepping up and voicing his concern for the offense, Donovan McNabb made sure he did his part in putting the unit back on the right track. The franchise leader in pass attempts (which he holds after the 49ers game) yards, completions, and touchdowns continued his fine play as he hit 23 of 36 passes at 63.8% (rounds off to 64% which was his season average when we went to the Superbowl in 2004) for 280 yards with two touchdowns, an interception, and a 94.7 QB rating. His longest pass completion was for 27 yards, nothing that evokes anything short of the Rams game in week one, but a lot more of the passes were hitting in the double digits and up, as opposed to one or two yard dink and out routes. And the interception was worthless, because not only did the defense come alive to stop them, but it was at their 12 yard line, and he rebounded nicely enough to make you forget about it. Another interesting element was the one McNabb roll out for four yards as well: it is interesting because you have to go back weeks to find the last time he rolled out of the pocket to run.
McNabb Grade: A (95%)

Running and Full Backs: With all the ailments and injuries that Westbrook is suffering through, Buckhalter has been making a pretty sizeable profit and impact during his time out. The General carried the ball 18 times for 93 yards and a touchdown while also leading everyone with seven receptions for 85 yards, totaling 25 touches and 178 yards and a touchdown for our fantasy football players. Even with Westbrook out of the game, Lorenzo Booker still only had one carry for five yards and no receptions in the game. And Dan Klecko, who was originally brought back home to Philly as a fullback but turned back into a defensive tackle, paved the way in the backfield for the running game and also caught a pass. In fact, maybe I am crazy here, but the 5.2 yards a rush for Correll and 4.9 as a team would allow me to insinuate that, perhaps, Klecko should be kept as a fullback, and we move Tony Hunt back to running back and move someone else out, like Booker. Speaking of, where the hell was Hunt at?
Unit Grade: A (93%)

Receivers and Tight Ends: The impending return of both Curtis and Brown after the bye week makes me wonder what we will do with DeSean Jackson, who has been a star for us at receiver since them two started suffering through injuries. Perhaps by moving him back to the slot and between #2 with Brown, he could be a load of fireworks over the middle as he caught six passes for 98 yards and had one receiver reverse for a yard. Hank Baskett posted four catches for 38 yards and a touchdown, which FINALLY came as a result of using his measurable size difference over corners and safeties on a F-A-D-E route! Greg Lewis caught three passes for 38 yards and Jason Avant had one catch for 17 yards, while LJ Smith had a reception for two yards after missing last week’s game and the second touchdown pass. But the only question I have to ask is, just what is the point of keeping Matt Schobel if he is going to be inactive, or inquiring about Tony Gonzalez instead?
Unit Grade: B (85%)

Offensive Line: I know the contention was made that Andrews should be considered the best player on the offense we are missing, but the case again on my behalf is to look at the 5.2 yards rushing for the General and, once again, NO sacks and NO penalties on the line. The former stat is especially impressive, considering that the line does not play their best against base 3-4 defenses like the one Mike Nolan employs (see the Cowboys and Steelers games if you don’t believe me). In fact, the closest anyone got to McNabb was end Justin Smith, who had their only quarterback hurry up against Tra Thomas. And Max Jean-Gilles never was called by name, which is a good thing, although Todd Herremans was called a couple of times for some devastating blocks on Correll runs and screens. While I would love to see Andrews back in, he can take as much time as he wants if this line is going to play like it has over the past two weeks: Max is doing just fine.**
Unit Grade: A (98%)
**This is my opinion ONLY: feel free to shoot me for it!

Defensive Line: If Juqua Parker was “only 75%” going into that game, then I will take him at 75% over some other ends at 100% then. Parker was a phantom to the offensive line of the 49ers, or so it seemed, as he had five tackles, two for a loss, a sack, a quarterback hurry, a pass defense, and an interception which he took 55-yards to the end zone to ice the game for the Eagles. Oh, and “JP’s” tackle on tight end Delanie Walker was a thing of beauty too, for a loss of ten. Trent Cole led the unit with six tackles and had a sack, a tackle for a loss, and a forced fumble on 49ers Quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan., which fellow end Chris Clemons picked up. Rookie tackle Trevor Laws had two tackles, Mike Patterson had two assisted tackles, and Darren Howard and Broderick Bunkley each had one tackle apiece, with Howard notching a tackle for a loss, a quarterback hurry, and also the final sack on the final play of the game. And even though Gore ran for 101 yards, 25 of them were on one run, knocking him back to 76 yards on 18 carries then, and I cannot take away from the pressure we got on JT all game, and the fact that the D-Ends came up with ALL three sacks was pretty downright impressive.
Unit Grade: A (95%)

Linebackers: As a defensive leader from the middle, Stewart Bradley has been taking it all in stride and doing all the little things that make up a great MIKE in this system. He again led the team with nine tackles but it was Omar Gaither who played gang busters on Gore, with seven tackles and two for a loss, both on Gore. Chris Gocong had two assisted tackles, while Akeem Jordan and Tank Daniels saw their action on special teams. But yet, the tight end was again a factor, although not really as much as Cooley, Olsen, and Witten before Vernon Davis. Although, Davis DID get 57 of his 75 yards on one freak pass: he had six of them as well.
Unit Rating: B (85%)

Secondary: Really, no matter what O’Sullivan tried to do for the 49ers, he couldn’t seem to find much, outside of a few spruce freak plays of 57-yards to Davis, 26 to Arnaz battle, 21 to Isaac Bruce, and 25 to Josh Morgan. Other then that, the secondary contained their little known names at wide out and tight end, as both Quintin Mikell and Brian Dawkins tallied seven tackles with Mikell also logging a pass defense, an interception, and two special teams tackles. Former 49er Joselio Hanson had three tackles while Asante Samuel had two tackles and two passes defended. Both Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown had an assisted tackle, which is good news because it means they weren’t getting beat at all.
Unit Rating: A (93%)

Special Teams: The story again was Dave Akers, although it wasn’t due to his missed field goal (even though he did miss one from 54 but I’ll get to that) as he hit four field goals and four extra points for 16 total points. Sav Rocca didn’t fair as well today, although it would mainly be because of coverage or lack there of, as he punted two times for 38.5 a boot but 16 a net, putting one inside the 20-yard line. Quintin Demps averaged 29 yards a kick return, although he got a 63-yard return which led to the first touchdown of the game, and Jackson had 14 an average on punt returns. Akeem Jordan led teams coverage with three tackles while Sean Considine and Mikell paced it with two each, and while Allen Rossum, another former Eagle in 1998 and 1999, had the one punt return for 45 yards, his average on kicks was 21.6, well below his NFC leading 29 yards a return coming in. As I mentioned out front, the missed field goal by Akers was blocked, as much his fault as the blockers out front, so that is a no fault.
Return Game Grade: A (95%)
Akers Grade: B+ (88%)
Coverage and Rocca Grade: B (85%)

Coaching: First thing is first…the inclusion of the F-A-D-E route should be more from here on out! That said, once more, the run pass game was tilted 67-33 pass run, but at least more shots were tried to the middle and long as opposed to just dumping it off all the time. Special teams were solid except for the field goal block, and the defense, at fault for only 19 of the 26 points, was phenomenal outside five or so freak plays and simply outstanding in the 4th quarter. And on top of that, the staff KNEW we needed this win, and we got it.
Staff Grade: A (95%)

Ripper’s Three Game Balls:
3. Donovan McNabb: I know, you say third place, but look at who is in front of him: McNabb did very well in the game, sans his interception.
2. Correll Buckhalter: Complete work horse whose stats spoke for themselves.
1. Juqua Parker: Most impressive is that he was allegedly “injured” coming into this game: played nothing like it at all in my opinion.

Numbers and Stats of Interest:
-Keeping it on the back burner for two weeks, McNabb and Andy Reid set the record for most wins as a duo starting out together and what a coincidence…in San Francisco, bypassing Bill Walsh and Joe Montana, who teamed up for 75 wins. Speaking of more records, on the pass prior to the blocked field goal, McNabb set the attempts record for Eagles passers as well.
-On four passes where O’Sullivan passed for more then 20 yards a clip, he posted 129 yards and had 70 yards on 13 completions otherwise.
-San Francisco shot themselves in the foot with ten penalties and six on the offense, including three false starts, two holds, and illegal formation.
-San Francisco led the TOP battle 33:19 to 26:41, and in the second and third quarters, accumulated over 10 minutes in each set.

Well, as I said before, we needed this win to avoid going sub-500 to the bye week. Now, we rest up and get back Reggie, Kevin, Brian, and hopefully Shawn as well so we can return to host the Falcons on the 26th.

Redskins Vs Eagles Review

2008-10-06T16:20:00.001-04:00

After watching what the Washington Redskins did a week ago when they went to Irving Texas to play the Dallas Cowboys, it would be of considerable concern if the Philadelphia Eagles were to fall behind in the game like the Cowboys did a week before. And in the starting minutes of the game, it was all Eagles all the time, with a 14-0 lead leaving the first quarter with a rushing touchdown and a punt return touchdown, the first of his career from DeSean Jackson.

But the autopilot, it went on way to early.

A bend but don’t break defense yielded three field goals in the second quarter before finally breaking into pieces by yielding two second half touchdowns. But it wouldn’t have been so bad had the offense actually been able to do something other then just on their opening drive and their closing drive. Because let’s face it, without the Jackson punt return for a touchdown, this game really wasn’t even close despite the team taking the early 7-0 lead with the game’s first drive. The 23-17 win for the Redskins allows them to move back within a half game of the division leading New York Giants at 4-0 after their blowout of the Seattle Seahawks 44-6 and into a technical tie with the Dallas Cowboys, who are 4-1 as well with their win over the Cincinnati Bengals 31-22, leaving the Eagles at 2-3, two games out of second place and 2.5 games out of 1st place in the division. The loss is also the team’s second in the division and also their first home loss of the season.

Quarterbacks: It is much to say that Donovan McNabb was not in a hurry all that much today, which begs the question as to why the ball was rarely, if ever, thrown downfield, or why they didn’t try and take a risk once in a while. Not having taken a sack and rarely even seeing a Redskins defender in the backfield with him, McNabb completed 17 of 29 passes for 58.6% with 196 yards and no touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 79.1 QB rating. And while a share of the missed passes were knocked down at the line, mostly by Defensive End Andre Carter, some of them were dropped, ones by Brent Celek, Greg Lewis, and Jason Avant bobbling the ball on the sideline are the ones that come to mind first. Still, he never showed any ailment of being hurt, although that might be because he was never hit much.
McNabb Grade: B (82%)

Running and Full Backs: Well, the good news is that, after missing the Chicago Bears game last week, Brian Westbrook returned to the field against Washington today. The bad news, however, is that he was either misused when he was used or he wasn’t nearly used enough in the game. Westbrook ran the ball 12 times for only 33 yards but the only offensive touchdown while also grabbing a team high six receptions for 51 yards, totaling 18 touches for 84 yards and a touchdown. Maybe the only thing that the coaching staff heard from me last week was to incorporate more Jackson rushing attempts, as he took two receiver reversals for 13 yards, while Reggie Brown took a pitch for six yards, Tony Hunt got a powerful burst up the middle for six yards, and Correll Buckhalter, the starter from last week in Chicago, ran the ball two times for zero yards.
Unit Grade: C+ (78%)

Wide Outs and Tight Ends: I’ve been giving Brown a little bit of crap for not getting back into the lineup for a few weeks, but he looked good against Chicago and looked a little better against Washington as he caught four passes for 84 yards, including a 40-yard shoulder roll, get up and run catch. Maybe then as well is LJ Smith, who caught three passes for 26 yards while four players came up with one catch apiece: Greg Lewis for 22 yards, Jackson for eight, Hunt for two, and Jason Avant for three yards. I think the results here today were a mixed bag, while Brown and Smith looked pretty good all around, the three guys I mentioned in the quarterback grade kind of drag the grade down with their drops.
Unit Grade: C+ (78%)

Offensive line: Whether you want to blame the line for the lack of a running game or the runners themselves is your call, but there is no doubt that the line came to play against the pass, allowing no sacks and no quarterback hurries. In fact, only one penalty was called on the offensive line (Jamaal Jackson’s false start, or illegal snap, depending upon which outlet you want to listen to) while LJ was the only one to get called with a holding call. True, Jason Taylor did not play, but Carter was contained pretty well by Big Jon Runyan, while the backup to Taylor, Demetric Evans, was not heard of against Tra Thomas. And for the third straight game, Max Jean-Gilles got the call at right guard for the injured Shawn Andrews and perhaps turned in his best all-around game so far this season. Todd Herremans and Jackson, of course, were also integral in shutting down the defensive tackle duo of Cedric Griffin and Kedric Golston.
Unit Grade: A (93%)

Defensive line: It was the Mike Patterson show, and while he was able to overpower the interior duo of Casey Rabach and Randy Thomas, it is just a shame it resulted in run stops instead of sacks, as he posted up ten total tackles (eight solo and two assist) while his partner in crime Broderick Bunkley had four tackles, again all of them on the run. Trent Cole, while he historically struggles against Tackle Chris Samuels, still had four tackles on the run, and Juqua Parker had three more tackles, while Darren Howard and Trevor Laws added one: Parker also had a pass defense and Cole had a tackle for a loss, which was rare that they got to Clinton Portis in the backfield. However, the entire collection of defensive linemen were just dominated all day by the Redskins offensive line, resulting in a total of 203 rushing yards.
Unit Grade: C- (70%)

Linebackers: The stat line for Chris Cooley went like this: eight catches for 109 yards and a touchdown. The reason I put this hear is that, traditionally, the linebacker is supposed to be the one that is responsible for the end, but Cooley pretty much just ran roughshod over them all. Stewart Bradley co-led the team with ten tackles and had one quarterback hurry, while Omar Gaither had six tackles and a pass defense while Chris Gocong was pretty much invisible in coverage and against the run with one tackle and one pass defense. On one hand, their job was made more difficult because the line got pushed around, but on the other hand, a few missed tackles piled up as well.
Unit Grade: C (75%)

Secondary: It wasn’t Jason Campbell who haunted the secondary, because Portis and Laddell Betts already did that on the ground, so the secondary didn’t get as much action as they would have liked. Brian Dawkins was everywhere again, tallying eight tackles, the game’s ONLY sack with a tackle for a loss and a quarterback hurry. Sheldon Brown had four tackles and a pass defense, while Asante Samuel and Quintin Mikell both had four tackles as well, while Lito Sheppard had one tackle, with Mikell also posting a quarterback hurry. Once again, the rating for the secondary might be a bit off due to the fact that the true damage was done on the ground by the Redskins.
Unit Grade: B (85%)

Special Teams: Once again, I am left to ask how many more missed field goals will it take until we make a move for someone who can actually kick the ball straight? I don’t know what is going on with David Akers, but his kicks are long enough, but two out of the last three misses have just sailed the wrong way instead. Akers was one of two while also hitting two extra point attempts, while Sav Rocca averaged 50.4 yards a punt, netting 42.8 a punt and also putting two of them inside the 20 for another marvelous effort. And, well, what can be said about Jackson and his SOLE punt return opportunity, other then 68-yards for his first return for a touchdown in the NFL, one week after getting his first reception for a touchdown. However, the kick return coverage for Quintin Demps was abysmal, as was Tank Daniel’s stupidity on special teams. Remember, this is the SAME stuff that got Matt McCoy kicked off the team a year ago. In fact, he was VERY lucky the officials left their glasses at home and picked up the flag on his penalty on Jackson’s touchdown. Oh, and the punt and kick coverage units were average at best.
Jackson Grade: A+ (100%)
Rocca Grade: A (95%)
Coverage Grade: B- (80%)
Kick blocking and Akers Grade: C- (70%)

Coaching: At the 8:06 mark in the 4th quarter, it was as if I was reliving another horrible nightmare, such as the week before when we failed to get the ball in from a yard out against Chicago, only this week, we got three points instead of nothing. The defensive staff at backers and linemen along with Jimmy Johnson deserve some flack as well for their units getting pushed around the field, especially in the second half. Special teams was, for the most part, pretty good, but again, I have a huge quip with the 3rd and one call to run, because we are such a PASS ORIENTED TEAM that we should have run that fade to Hank Baskett…ere, where exactly WAS he?
Rory Grade: A- (90%)
Andy Grade: B- (80%)
Jimmy Grade: C (75%)

Ripper’s Three Game Balls:
3. Offensive Line: Outstanding pass blocking, and McNabb was protected in the game like Fort Knox.
2. Brian Dawkins: The “Old Washed Up Safety” had the game’s only sack, and was his usual flying all over the place self.
1. DeSean Jackson: The images of a punt return touchdown were not a mirage, and wearing his jersey today brought the first touchdown of the year there.
Honorable Mention: No one

Numbers and Stats of Interest:
-The league’s best defense against the run and yards per carry were taken apart by Washington: in the first four games, we gave up only 215 yards rushing at an average of 2.8 yards a run, both tops. Washington ran the ball for 203 yards and averaged 4.6 yards a carry as a team.
-Three times a team held the ball for over 10 minutes in a quarter, as the Eagles held the ball for 11:23 in the first quarter and the Redskins had it for 12:12 in the second and 11:32 in the third. Also, Washington sustained two drives of seven minutes or longer, including the final 7:18 to run the clock out.
-On their opening touchdown drive, the Eagles posted 80 yards after Westbrook’s touchdown: on the following seven drives, the team was only able to amass 88 yards, leading to five punts, a missed field goal, and the half.
-With the lack of a turnover during the game, Washington again has zero on the season, making them only team to have that mark.

Well, it is kind of hard to win games when you cannot stop the run and you decide to take your foot off the gas when you jump out to a 14-0 lead in the game. In time, these are issues that the staff is going to have to fix, unless they want to go to our bye week in week seven with a 2-4 record, and more then likely, three games back in the most competitive division in the NFL.

Eagles Vs Bears Review

2008-09-29T17:12:00.001-04:00

Going into Solider Field in Chicago to face the Bears, it was pretty much common knowledge that Donovan McNabb, who went to Mt. Carmel in Chicago, had never lost in his hometown, winning a 2002 playoff game there 33-21, and then a 2004 season game there as well, 19-7. And judging from the back and forth action of Sunday Night’s game, it looked like it was one or two more plays away from continuing that trend in the first half, as the offense found the end zone pretty easily with two touchdowns, but at the same time, so was the Bears offense, who put up three of their own to take a 21-14 halftime lead.

Then in the second half, Dr. Jekyll pulled a Mr. Hyde.

Neither defense budged much, and with the Eagles already down seven points, the teams traded field goals and the Eagles added a second, meaning they only came out with three up but still fell by four, as the Bears defeated the Eagles 24-20 on Sunday Night Football on NBC. The loss for the Eagles not only puts them at 2-2 on the season with both losses coming in primetime affairs but also both on the road, but it temporarily puts them at the bottom of the division, with the Giants idle at 3-0, and when Washington beat Dallas 26-24, it made both teams 3-1, putting them 0.5 games behind New York and us 1.5 games behind. Turning points of the game included DeSean Jackson’s first punt return muff recovered by the Bears, which cost us a touchdown, two missed field goals by David Akers from 50 and 47, and also a 4th down and goal situation for the team with about 3:30 left in the game, failing to convert and basically ending our game. Despite all this however, the Bears were far removed from their mistakes, with four total turnovers, three of them in the 3rd quarter, but the Eagles only managed six points on these gifts.

Quarterbacks: McNabb, the Chicago native with his father and mother, Sam and Wilma respectively, in attendance and with both star runner and receiver Brian Westbrook and pro bowl right guard Shawn Andrews both out for the game, the focus was even more squarely on McNabb then usual. And this provides the ultimate scope into how the game played out: for the most part, this was pretty good, but it did come with some bad spots as well. For the game, McNabb hit 24 out of 40 passes at 60% completed for 248 yards with a touchdown and an interception while being tagged with two carries at minus five yards, one of which was a kneel down prior to the half, and the other a slip and slide thanks to Max Jean-Gilles. I’ve also been trying to figure out who was the fault of the interception, whether it was him or Jackson, the intended receiver, and have pretty much figured it was a total error in communication: while McNabb pointed inwards after the fact, his throw didn’t seem all that far inward its self.
McNabb Grade: B (85%)

Running and Full Backs: Having figured that the Eagles were going to keep passing the ball at any rate and that they had taken out another running back from our platoon, Correll Buckhalter made them pay for that mistake later on in the game. After getting only six carries for four yards in the first half, he ended up missing a few plays after he made the tackle on Bears safety Kevin Payne, who pulled in McNabb’s only interception of the game, and in the second half, he ran ten times for 62 yards, totaling 16 carries for 66 yards at 4.1 a run and our second touchdown of the game. And while he also caught two passes out of the backfield, including a 19-yard blooper saving it from being intercepted, his biggest missing attributes were his pass blocking skills. Because let’s face it, we gave flack to Tony Hunt for his blocking as a rookie last year, but Lorenzo Booker looked just as terrible in there, as he got two carries for seven yards and caught one pass which lost three yards due to a miss block by HIM. Hunt had two catches for 26 yards and a carry for one yard, while Jackson also lit up the backfield with two carries for 35 yards on receiver reversals.
Buck Grade: A (93%)
Hunt Grade: B (83%)
Booker Grade: C- (70%)

Wide Outs and Tight Ends: Funny how things work out in this offense: Hank Baskett, who led the unit with eight catches and 85 yards a week ago against Pittsburgh, was held to the bottom with two others at one, as Jackson collected five catches for 71 yards and a touchdown (and his first of the season, his second had he not passed the ball backwards in Irving) while Reggie Brown matched him in catches and had 65 yards and could have had two more catches, but he had a beauty of a 31-yard catch down the left side of the field, our longest pass play. Jason Avant collected four catches for 29 yards, most of them while laying on the ground, and Baskett and Greg Lewis both collected one catch each. Oh, and here are a few facts about the starting tight end from last night, Brent Celek: fact, he caught three passes, which in one game was HALF of what LJ Smith did in three games previously. Fact, he is making 3.7 million dollars less this season then Smith is. And fact, Tony Gonzalez said he would take a trade…get my drift? Oh, and as usual, we saw our fair share of receivers get hit in the hands and drop the ball, or like with Matt Schobel, have a catch on the numbers and drop it for fear of getting hit.
Unit Grade: B- (80%)

Offensive Line: For the most part, the offensive line did pretty good despite once again missing Andrews due to a lower back injury. His replacement, Jean-Gilles, allowed the replacements for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Tommie Harris, those being Israel Idonije and Marquis Harrison, to only one sack and did pretty well plowing down for the running game. Two of the teams three penalties, however, did come against the offensive line as Jon Runyan and Todd Herremans were both called for false starts, but the match-ups between Tra Thomas and Alex Brown and Runyan and Adewale Ogunleye produced only one half sack (from Adewale helping out Daniel Manning) and they pretty much had the vindication of having their faces put on milk cartoons with the usual “missing” details following it up. A lot of the time, McNabb got plenty of passing time, and the run blocking when they did run later on in the game was good too. Oh, and don’t forget this effort came against the FEARSOME Bears superstar defense!
Unit Grade: A- (90%)

Defensive line: I said from the outset to Bears fans who tried to question me about Matt Forte’s success and his yards from scrimmage that we would shut him down: we were not the #1 defense against the run (44.7 yards a game) and per carry (2.8 a run) for nothing, and shut them down we did do very well. That said, they ALSO got after Kyle Orton to a certain degree of harassment seen in the case that Marc Bulger is trying to present against the Eagles in NFL football court, but he should feel lucky…Big Ben is suing us for severe harassment in the NFL court! I take back everything I said about Trent Cole prior to the Steelers game as the guy is turning into himself again, leading the unit and finishing second on the team with eight tackles and a sack which forced a fumble as well. Broderick Bunkley posted three run stopping tackles while Juqua Parker also had three tackles (two solo and one assist) and posted another solo sack, putting him at 3.5 on the year so far. Mike Patterson and Dan Klecko also posted a tackle apiece but both were memorable for one reason or another: Patterson actually overpowered right guard Roberto Garza with one arm and used the other to tackle Forte, and Klecko got a sack, posting his second of the year. Trevor Laws also posted the first tackle of his career, and Darren Howard became the first player NOT named Asante Samuel to pick off a pace on what SHOULD have been Parker’s second sack of the game on Orton. Oh, and while is may have been slightly higher then the average, we gave up 78 yards rushing on 26 carries for three a run, and Forte had 43 yards on 19 carries.
Unit Grade: A (95%)

Linebackers: Despite what I said at the end of the column for the Steelers game, I made the general mistake of listening to Al Michaels and John Madden call the game, and while listening to pure genius (like Madden talking about how there were no leftovers from Wilma’s cooked team dinner on Saturday despite not understanding how he made the scene if it was our own team only) they did say one thing I agreed with: the linebackers are always around the ball and making plays nonstop. Omar Gaither led the team with nine tackles, most of them in stopping Forte or Jones in their tracks, while also recovering the forced fumble from Cole, while Stewart Bradley had four tackles and a recovered fumble on the botch between Orton and Kevin Jones, and Chris Gocong had three tackles while being the only non-lineman to collect a sack, even though Howard was also in the backfield to supervise his work. One thing I did notice about Gocong in particular, though, was his pass coverage and instinct tackling were both far better: outside that “touchdown” by Greg Olsen, he did much better against the tight ends.
Unit Grade: A (95%)

Secondary: Sloppy coverage by Samuel on Devin Hester and the failure of the safeties to figure out who was supposed to be covering Marty Booker may have been the only mistakes otherwise from the secondary, which held their 3rd quarterback to under 200 yards passing for the game (Orton had 199 yards). Quintin Mikell had five tackles and would become the first secondary member not named Asante to collect an interception on the season while Brian Dawkins had three tackles and Sheldon Brown had two tackles, and Asante Samuel and Lito Sheppard had one apiece. And the fact that Samuel and Sheppard only had one tackle each when they were mostly lined up on Hester and Brandon Lloyd prior to his injury speak wonders about their ability to cover arguably their most prolific weapons.
Unit Grade: A- (90%)

Special Teams: David Akers was ridiculous today, and I do NOT mean that in a way that he was good. TWO missed field goals, being down four points, makes ALL the difference between winning 26-24 and losing 24-20, and if he cannot hit them from 50 and 47 while others easily can, then it is time for him to move along and we need someone else. On the positive, Sav Rocca did fairly well punting again, averaging 44.2 yards a punt and blasting one which went 65 yards and then forced Hester to retreat another eight yards once he made the catch to his own 2-yard line. Quintin Demps averaged 24 yards a kick return on four, Jackson nine yards a punt return on four and his fumble, and our coverage teams allowed 24 yards a kick return average between three return men, and Hester ZERO yards per average on punts.
Rocca Grade: A (95%)
Coverage Grade: A- (90%)
Returns Grade: B- (80%)
Akers Grade: F (55%)

Coaching: Two weeks ago, I called out Rory Seagrest and Jim Johnson after their units’ disgusting effort in the Dallas game, and both responded with flying colors in beating Pittsburgh and continued yet again in Chicago for the most part (minus Bonehead Akers and Jackson’s sit down muff) but this week it is time to call out Andy Reid and Marty Mornhenwheg. Now, I understand that Brian, LJ, and Shawn were missing from the game against Chicago and for the most part against Pittsburgh, but those three shouldn’t take our offense from scoring 38 and 37 points a game down to 15 and 20 points a game just like that. I mean, it isn’t like Max hasn’t played that badly in Shawn’s absence, it isn’t like Correll isn’t capable of seeing 20 carries or so a game (although Brian rarely does himself though) and LJ well…he sucks anyway. But I am failing to understand why, on 66 total plays on offense, 43 FREAKING TIMES we called for a passing play, as opposed to only 23 RUN PLAYS! That makes the pass-run ratio 68-32 percent, and I was only KIDDING after the Steelers game when I said our team would become 70-30 if Brian were to miss the Bears game. Do Andy and Marty have that little confidence in Correll and the others that we must always do this when Brian is out?
Jimmy J Grade: A (95%)
Rory Grade: B (85%)
Andy and Marty Grade: C (75%)

Ripper’s Three Game Balls:
3. Correll Buckhalter: Despite being screwed over on his carries, Correll did what Correll could do though, touching the ball 18 times for 89 yards and a touchdown rushing, even tough he missed time in the 3rd quarter due to an injury.
2. Trent Cole: Eight tackles from our pro bowl defensive end and a sack and forced fumble show that is in fact back!
1. Omar Gaither: Second great game he had, leading the team in tackles with nine and also picking up the fumble from Trent: played shadow on Forte and Jones.
Honorable Mention: Punt coverage unit and DeSean Jackson (kept off the list only due to his fumble on the punt)

Numbers and Stats of Interest:
-Entering the game, Donovan and Andy were tied with former 49ers Coach Bill Walsh and Quarterback Joe Montana for most wins by a head coach and quarterback who started their careers off together in the same year with 75. Obviously, they will have to wait another week to break that mark.
-Points off of turnovers hurt the Eagles: on four turnovers, the Eagles offense only posted two field goals, and on two turnovers, the Bears posted a touchdown.
-The third quarter was brutal to the Bears: they netted only two yards of offense, committed three turnovers, and couldn’t post a 1st down from the start of the half to the 12:39 mark in the 4th quarter.
-Despite losing only by four points, the Eagles never led in the game: the score went 7-0 Bears, 7-7, 14-7, 14-14, 21-14 at the half, 21-17, 24-17, and 24-20.
-Jon Runyan and his 24-game streak without a penalty call against him was snapped in the 1st quarter when he was hit with a false start call.
-How many stadiums can say both the time clock AND the play clock froze at the same time? From the 13:14 mark to the 10:23 mark in the 4th quarter, it did at Solider Field, then again, it is a pretty old stadium.

If a couple of things would have turned our way instead of the way of the home team Bears, the Eagles could easily be 3-1, but as it stands, they now have two primetime losses both by four points, and dating back to the start of 2007, our primetime games record is 0-6, 0-4 on the road and 0-2 at home. The team needs to regroup and get some of that early season adrenaline pumped back into the offense once more, and the defense cannot get discouraged by the lose because they played too great to lose the game. The Washington Redskins are next, and they won in Irving…can they repeat the act in Philadelphia?

Eagles Vs Steelers Review

2008-09-22T15:25:00.001-04:00

Suffice to say, after what happened in week two, the pass defense and special teams both had a lot of explaining to do. And, on top of that, they also had to reinvent themselves in the matter of five days (since the Monday Night Game nearly lasted until way early Tuesday Morning, for us on the East Coast at any rate) and get ready for a team who was storming in at 2-0, that being the Pittsburgh Steelers. In fact, the situation kind of reminded me one of them old Looney Tunes cartoons, featuring Wily E. Coyote and the Roadrunner, wherein, the Eagles after week two looked like Wily E. would, flying down into the pit and blowing up. But in a rather unusual paradox, the collective units dusted themselves into a dust pan and went back to the Acme Factory to be turned into a machine.

And at this point, it was Big Ben who became Wily E.

All cartoon kidding aside, both special teams and the defense showed up to bail out the offense, which struggled as the game went on after losing three players to injury (although one would return) and both the D and teams stepped up to the plate as the Eagles defeated the Steelers 15-6 at the Linc, dealing not only the Steelers their first loss of the season, but also the first loss in our new(er) stadium (built in 2003, we played at Heinz Field in our last season game with Pittsburgh in 2004). One would almost have to feel for Ben Roethlisberger (who will be referred to as Big Ben from here on out, because trying to copy his name from this game book to spell it is infuriating to my simple mind) who seemingly was in the scope of 11 hunters as if he was nothing more then a deer on the first day of hunting season. And going into this game, all I heard from the local Pittsburgh media was how GREAT the offensive line looked as opposed to 2007...uh, are you SERIOUS? Oh, I know, maybe it was because they are used to stopping 3-4 defenses who play base, and not 4-3 defenses that incorporate more blitzes then you have chances to throw a clean pass? Oh, and the antics of Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin and Big Ben after what happened when he was in the end zone have caused me to contemplate a new award for my column, which I might use when I see fit…THE CRYBABY OF THE GAME AWARD! Seriously, was there THAT much of a need to put on THAT kind of spectacle over the call when Walt Anderson made it? It was the right call: I know it and you two sordid kids know it too! Now then, on to the review!

Quarterbacks: Let me start this section my saying that I have never been afraid of the future. I embrace this change over from TV to digital TV programming on February 24th, 2009, I look forward to seeing who becomes the new President of the United States, and yes, I want to see if the conspiracy theorists who said the world was going to end in 2000 are right when they say it will NOW be 2012. But one thing scares me about the future, and that is Kevin Kolb playing in the present! I know he looked pretty good against St. Louis in the last nine minutes in week one, but damn it, that was the Rams, and this is the Steelers! That pass he forced to Hank Baskett, and the mega-hard pass he tossed that hit LJ Smith in the hands and ended up with Troy Polamalu was too awkward to see as well. If you are wondering why I am talking about this now, reason is Donovan McNabb got hurt and missed a few plays to start the third quarter, as Kevin hit two of three for 18 yards and the pick off, while McNabb, who appeared to hurt his shoulder on a duo sack on the last play of the 1st quarter but remained in the game until the half, was 24 of 35 for 68.6% with 196 yards and a touchdown and an interception for an 80.2 QB rating. Honestly, when McNabb returned in the third quarter, I was singing Halleluiah praises! Although, the only question I have for McNabb was, “What were you looking off when you hit Bryant McFadden on the numbers?” That isn’t a pass Donovan is very often known to throw as he missed Jackson by about 10 yards over his head.
McNabb Grade: B (85%)
Kolb Grade: C- (70%)

Running and Full Backs: You could tell it was going to be one of them days where nothing was going to go right here. On the final play of the first drive, Tony Hunt was put out of the game with what appeared to be a concussion after Steelers End Orpheus Roye CLEARLY led with his helmet to hit Hunt in the helmet, forcing a “fumble” but more importantly injuring him. And after the final play of the 1st quarter when McNabb landed oddly, the first play of the second quarter saw Brian Westbrook land hard after he tried to jump over tackle Tra Thomas so he didn’t tramp on him, and in effect hurt his ankle landing. Now according to Westwood One Radio and NBC, the GOOD news is that he didn’t break his ankle according to the MRI he had taken after the incident, but I am not sure just how long he will miss. In his place, Correll “General” Buckhalter carried the ball ten times for 43 yards on the ground, but his most valuable hand came in catching the ball (sound familiar at all?) as he caught six passes, good for second best on the team, with 44 yards and the game’s only touchdown, a nifty little leaping move where he did a Rob Van Dam like single kick motion to the head of a Steelers safety. Westbrook had five carries for 12 yards before his injury with no catches, while Lorenzo Booker ran the ball five times for 11 yards and grabbed two passes as well as Hunt did before he hurt his head as well.
Unit Grade: B- (80%)

Wide Outs: Yeah, notice I DIDN’T add tight ends here (wonder why). One little thing about us spreading the ball around is that someone is always going to have the “big” game: where as we had three receivers top 100 yards in week one and DeSean Jackson did it again in week two, Hank Baskett took the lead this week, as he roped in eight passes for 85 yards, finally getting more opportunities to stretch the field and use his size to his advantage. Now, all we need to do is get that working in the red zone now! Speaking of Jackson, he caught five passes for 40 yards and had a receiver reverse which COULD have done some damage, but instead only went for one yards on the run. Jason Avant had two receptions for 24 yards, including 19 of them on a 3rd and 17 situation in the second quarter, and Greg Lewis had one grab for four yards. Oh, and that playmaking tight end of ours that is eating up 4.5 million with the franchise tag was good enough to drop a pass which was in his hands in the end zone: guess he was afraid of getting hit, but he did anyway. And on top of THAT even, it says Reggie Brown played today, but it is funny, I only remember him staying inside on a pass route when Donny threw it outside.
Receivers Grade: B- (80%)

Offensive line: Going into the game, I was pretty sure that facing yet another 3-4 defense would bear a pretty similar result as the Dallas game did last week, but to my surprise, with the exception of Jon Runyan not being able to slow down Lamar Woodley, that wasn’t what I saw. In fact, out of the Steelers three total sacks, only one half of a sack was obtained by a defensive lineman as Travis Kirschke split one with linebacker Larry Foote. And yeah, the team only managed 65 yards rushing for the game, but you have to factor in that we only ran the ball 23 times as opposed to passing it 38 times as well. And you also must consider that the team also didn’t get in any practices with Jamaal Jackson, who’s brother was killed by a drunk driver, and Shawn Andrews missed the game with an injury, putting Max Jean-Giles in at right guard, and they didn’t miss a beat at all. Impressive, considering they form a 1-2 punch inside at C-RG.
Unit Grade: A- (90%)

Defensive Line: Now THIS Ladies (Uh, I don’t think we have any here on the board however) and gentlemen was the force we ALL had envisioned when we kept who we did to rotate and cycle linemen in and out. Out of the defense’s nine total sacks, the defensive line pushed out 6.5 of them and out of the 11 quarterback hurries, they accounted for nine of them. Creating mismatches with the “improved” Steelers offensive line at large was Juqua Parker, who threw Right Tackle Willie Colon aside like he was thin air as he collected five tackles to co-led the line and also 2.5 of the sacks and also posted four hurries, two tackles for a loss, a pass defense, and a forced fumble while Trent Cole posted up five with him and a sack and QB hurry, although his was at the expense of face masking Big Ben (I dare say, his head on a swivel was pretty good looking though). Darren Howard, who has become the 3rd end of sorts for us, posted two tackles, a sack and a half, two quarterback hurries, and a tackle for a loss while Broderick Bunkley had one tackle for a solo sack and a hurry while he also recovered Parker’s forced fumble on Big Ben, while Dan Klecko had two tackles, a hurry, and split a sack, and Mike Patterson had one assist tackle. Oh, and on top of the sacks and hurry contributions, I would also say that holding the Steelers ground game to ONLY 33 yards rushing and forcing six total tackles for a loss in the run department is huge as well, considering Willie Parker ran for 100 or more yards in weeks one and two.
Unit Grade: A+ (100%)

Linebackers: Moving back to WILL linebacker probably meant that Omar Gaither would have less of an overall impact on the game, except for when you run across a team that makes a living out of running to the outside with guys like Willie Parker, and sending their tight ends like Heath Miller weak. Pittsburgh would be that team, and Gaither played like he was at MIKE in 2007 again, dishing out seven tackles, two quarterback hurries, two pass defenses, one and a half sacks, and one tackle for a loss while Stewart Bradley had six tackles (all solo) but also included three tackles for a loss, mostly VIA putting a hurting on Silly Willie. And of the one most irrelevant, Chris Gocong contributed one tackle to the game: either teams are afraid to run anything at him, or Bradley and Gaither just still everything from him!
Unit Grade: A (95%)

Secondary: Now then, just WHO is washed up again? If you tell me Brian Dawkins is washed up one more time, I swear I will hit you in the head with my pretty yellow and red colored two-sided fiberglass hammer! I got to think that Parker, Big Ben, Miller, and Nate Washington would ALL agree that Dawkins is anything BUT freaking washed up on Sunday as he collected seven tackles, a sack which also forced fumble and as an added bonus, he ALSO picked his own up, and he also collected two tackles for a loss as well. Quintin Mikell, who joins him as his fellow head pounding safety in crime, actually lead the team with eight tackles while Asante Samuel had five tackles on the game with two pass defenses and collected his second interception in as many games, covering Washington like a blanket and reading Big Ben like a book (nothing new, go back and look at them Patriots-Steelers games). Lito Sheppard had three tackles while both Joselio Hanson and Sheldon Brown were limited to only one tackle, a testament to how well they covered, but on the other hand I am upset because I REALLY wanted to see Brown rack Hines Ward like he did Jackson and Bush (Evil Grin)!
Unit Grade: A+ (98%)

Special Teams: Another unit that got chewed up and spit out by the writer last week did FAR better this week then it did last week, most notably in coverage of Steelers punt and kick returns. David Akers hit two field goal tries both conveniently from 31-yards away while Sav Rocca used his new found accuracy as well as his booming foot, punting five times (all in the second half) averaging 44.4 yards a kick while netting only one yard less a punt, putting three of them inside the twenty, and uncorking a 64-yarder when we were pinned inside our own 15-yard line. In fact, only ONE of them punts were returned by Santonio Holmes for five yards: two were fair caught, one sailed out at the six yard line, and another was downed at the Steelers 10-yard line. Quintin Demps had two kick returns averaging 29 yards per clip while Jackson had two punt returns of his own, averaging 5.5 yards a return while fair catching three of them.
Unit Grade: A (95%)

Coaching: I am not sure what Jim Johnson and Rory Seagrest did or said to their respective units (with Jim, I am sure it was colorful) but whatever they did or said worked for this week. The blitzes were aplenty on defense, and the pressure from the front seven was what we should come to expect, almost like a “Gang Green” type dominance. And Rashard Mendenhall only averaged 24 yards a kick return, as did Carey Davis on one, and you already know Holmes’ numbers. Just a far better job today by the staff, I really applaud them two coaches in particular.
Unit Grade: A (95%)

Ripper’s Three Game Balls:
3. Donovan McNabb: The interception put a damper on his day in which he overthrew Jackson, but he pitched the only touchdown in the process and also returned from a pretty hard fall he took.
2. Sav Rocca: One thing (and probably the only thing) that Phil Simms said that I agreed with was, “Sometimes, your punter can be your team MVP.” And two times when the game was still close in the fourth quarter prior to that safety and the field goal did Rocca walk into this moniker: his 63-yarder was a thing of beauty, as was the one which sailed out right by Holmes at the Steelers six yard line.
1. The ENTIRE Defense: Nothing was weak: when you pressure the quarterback from the front four, the linebackers can free lance, and the secondary can cover and read plays easier. A truly and simply amazing domino effect!
Honorable Mention: The Steelers line (for sucking) and Correll Buckhalter

Numbers and Stats of Interest:
-With his touchdown pass to Correll Buckhalter in the second quarter, Donovan passed Ron “JAWS” Jaworski for first place on the Eagles franchise list for most touchdowns in his career here: the completion gave him his 177th TD pass.
-McNabb started the game off completing his first 15 passes. Also, his passes without an interception streak was snapped at 122 straight passes.
-The Eagles first safety of the year came under dubious but well called circumstances: Big Ben was pressured by Cole in the end zone, throwing the ball away and still inside the pocket with no receiver in sight. Since he was in the end zone already, the penalty has to be enforced from where he was, thus giving the Eagles the safety and, at that point, a 12-6 lead.
-It was a rough first drive to open the 3rd quarter for Pittsburgh: on a drive which only lasted 1:05, the Steelers were flagged FOUR times on three plays, two penalties in a row on second down (delay of game and false start), and two at the same time on third down (illegal forward pass and holding). Funny thing is on the holding and false start, left guard Chris Kemoeatu was the guilty party. Yeah, you know, the guy they BANKED on replacing an 8-time pro bowler in Alan Faneca.
-Parker’s 20 yards rushing was his worst such total as a starter since week seven in 2006 against the Baltimore Ravens, when he ran for 28 yards.

Well, that does it for this column, as we leave this game behind and look forward to our Sunday Night Football game at Solider with the Chicago Bears. Yep, you know what this means…TV on for the action, muted, Field Pass on for Merrill Reese and Mike Quick for audio because my IQ drops when I hear John Madden and Al Michaels announce a game.

Rippers Retro: Game Two: Eagles vs Cowboys

2008-09-16T16:15:00.004-04:00

RipperEagle Reviews:
Week 2: Eagles @ Cowboys
By RipperEagle (RE96)

When someone who was just a casual football fan saw that the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys were playing on Monday Night Football in week two, they would probably just dismiss it as just another game. But the true fans of both the Cowboys and the Eagles know what the matches mean, and being that it was the 98th all time meeting between the two teams and that it took the main event slot was more important. Now, going into the game, there were many opinions as to what the score would be: these ranged from a Dallas blowout to a Philly blowout and everything in between. But, according to ESPN, 47 states in the US took the Cowboys to win the game against two states (apparently, New Jersey came up undecided) and after quarter one, they would have been right. But in the second, the Eagles made their case for winning the game and actually led at the half 30-24.

But, that’s when it all fell apart.

The Cowboys scored the only touchdown in the third quarter and also outscored the Eagles 10-7 in the final frame, and the Eagles only turnover cost the team as the Cowboys pulled out a win in a frantic match-up 41-37. The win moves Dallas into a tie for first place with the New York Giants at 2-0, while the Eagles are now tied with the Washington Redskins for second place at 1-1. Now, as I like to be a straight shooter, I will not be all giddy and try to say that we ALMOST won the game, because the bottom line is that we had as many leads in this game as they did, and it was up to US to keep our leads in tact, but we couldn’t do that, so I will be thoroughly honest with this.

Quarterbacks: You know when the Donovan McNabb of old is back? When he gets to scrambling around like he did and alluding defenders right and left, mostly linebackers because the big slow line couldn’t handle them. And granted, he didn’t get away from them all (he got sacked four times) but he got out of some that the McNabb of 2005, 2006, or 2007 wouldn’t have been able to do. His passing numbers ended up 25 of 37 (67.6%) for 281 yards and a touchdown while he ran five times for 20 yards and was tagged with two fumbles on two botched handoffs to Brian Westbrook, the latter of which was never picked up and killed the team. As a passer and considering that AGAIN he was missing his “two best receivers” and facing guys like Ken Hamlin, Anthony Henry, Adam Jones, Mike Jenkins, and even a 75% Terrance Newman, he didn’t do all that bad, but again, his oft ill communication on handoffs came back to kill the team later on.
McNabb Grade: A- (90%)

Running Backs: I might as well have just changed this title to Westbrook instead, because he was the only one who touched the ball in the game from a running aspect. Westbrook ran the ball 18 times for 58 yards and got across the plane two times rushing while also catching six passes for 45 yards and another touchdown. My only question in regard to his receptions is this: how come we went back to using him that much after what happened last week when the staff said we needed to take the load off of using him 1,000 times a game for that? As for the others, Correll Buckhalter and Lorenzo Booker had two catches each, Buckhalter tallying 15 yards and Booker eight yards. So if you are counting it up at home, Westbrook totaled 24 touches for 103 yards and three touchdowns. No usage of Tony Hunt as a receiver or a rusher in this game either.
Unit Grade: B+ (88%)

Wide Receivers & Tight Ends: The ineffectiveness of the receivers to get open downfield created a lot of problems for McNabb trying to pass the ball, as he couldn’t find someone open or even breaking away on most of his sacks. DeSean Jackson once again went over 100 yards receiving for the game as he had 110 yards on six receptions and would have had a touchdown had he not pulled a bonehead and thrown the ball away at the one yard line, putting it at a 61-yard touchdown reception. After him however is where the drop-off occurs: Greg Lewis had three catches for 36 yards, while Jason Avant and Hank Baskett had two catches each. Oh, and that big difference making tight end of ours? Yeah, LJ Smith had one big reception, which matched that of Brent Celek.
DeSean Grade: A (94%)
Grade after stupidity: B (84%)
Everyone else Grade: C- (70%_

Offensive line: Wow, what a difference a week makes for this unit. Last week, their praise and acclaim were both in heaps, this week however, they looked extremely slow and left McNabb on the run all the time. In fact, not only was the pass blocking rather weak, but there were a few instances where Westbrook came away with a loss of yards or zero to one yards. Now, I know playing a 3-4 defense is harder because there are four backers, but come on, how come Jason Hatcher, Jay Ratliff, Chris Canty, and Marcus Spears kept appearing in the backfield time after time? And what is this that I heard during the third quarter, that Shawn Andrews had an issue with his back, which is why Max Jean-Gilles came into the game? Oh well, we don’t know for sure: didn’t you get the memo, Mike, Tony, Ron, and Suzie are too busy talking about everything OTHER then the game on hand!
Unit Grade: D+ (69%)

Defensive line: Well, Broderick Bunkley brought it against the Cowboys running game, the question is, where was everyone else at? I know that Tony Romo did a good job of getting the passes off quickly, which forced the defensive line to get close but not close enough for a sack, but half of the time, it looked like Mike Patterson and Trent Cole were just simply out of position, and the latter looks nothing like the pro bowler he was last year. Bunkley had four total tackles while Juqua Parker had two tackles, Darren Howard and Patterson had two each, and Cole had one lousy tackle. Well, it IS only two games in, I am sure Trent will be able to find someone that he can get three sacks against to make up for it, or something like that.
Bunkley Grade: B+ (89%)
Everyone else Grade: C (75%)

Linebackers: Oh, what’s that I see? Jason Witten, riling off seven catches for 110 yards against us? Yeah well, I don’t see any reason to be surprised really. I mean, come on, don’t you know we can’t ever seem to cover this guy or even slow him down? The assignment mostly fell on Omar Gaither at WILL, who responded with five total tackles, while Stewart Bradley had four total tackles and Chris Gocong had an assisted tackle but also had the defensive play of the game. Romo, buried back at his own three yards line thanks to a bad kick return and then a penalty for a false start, went to hand the ball off to Marion Barber, but the ball slipped out of his hands before it got to him, and when he tried to pick it back up, he was hit and lost it, with Gocong scoring his first career touchdown.
Gocong Recovery Grade: A+ (100%)
Unit Grade: C (77%)

Secondary: Sheldon Brown had eight tackles to lead the team, but make no mistake, they weren’t up against the run, all of them. A lot of them came in coverage because Romo ended up hitting 70% of his passes for 312 yards, three touchdowns, and hit Terrell Owens three times for 89 yards and two touchdowns, the first score of which went right past Brown for 72-yards. Brian Dawkins had six tackles and a forced fumble on Romo in the end zone for the touchdown by Gocong, while Quintin Mikell had five tackles, and Sean Considine and Lito Sheppard both had two tackles. Asante Samuel also had two tackles, but he pulled in his first interception as an Eagle, and the first actual turnover forced by the defense this season, as Romo nailed him on the numbers after saving his pride from suffering a sack from Howard. And one might argue that the secondary struggled because of the lack of pressure 75% of the time or so from the defensive line, but still, with the guys we have, there is no excuse for these kind of efforts.
Unit Grade: C (75%)

Special Teams: Wow, was this truly a mixed bag or what? On one hand, David Akers was Mr. Automatic, hitting all three field goals he tried (from 34, 44, and 22, respectively) and also all four extra points to tally 13 for the game, and Sav Rocca also uncorked his foot to the tune of three punts for 48 yards an average and a long of 61 yards. And Quintin Demps averaged 25 yards a kick return on six, with a long of 47 yards in the final quarter, and Jones only averaged three yards a punt return on two for Dallas. But on the other hand, the coverage team on kicks were horrendous, allowing Felix Jones to average 41 yards a kick return on six of them with a 98-yard touchdown return in the 1st quarter, and the blocking for DeSean on punt returns was very poor, drawing penalties on two of his returns.
Akers and Rocca Grade: A (95%)
Demps Grade: B (85%)
Blocking and Coverage Grade: D+ (68%)

Coaching: You know when your coach doesn’t care, or when you kind of think ONE team is taking the pay off to lose the game on purpose? When your quarterback and running back, who just gave the game away, are laughing about it on the sidelines. And you know something else too? I am not sure what Jim Johnson and all of his respective position coaches were looking at, because if they DID make changes, they were half @$$ at best! Oh, and Rory Seagrest REALLY needs to get them guys to block and cover a bit better too, because it won’t get any easier with Santonio Holmes and Devin Hester in the next two weeks.
Coaching Grade: D (65%)

Ripper’s Three Game Balls:
3. DeSean Jackson: Despite his goof up (which didn’t hurt anyway because Dallas wasn’t bright enough to pick the ball up) he still got over 100 yards as a receiver on only six grabs, one going for 60-yards.
2. Brian Westbrook: The Mighty Mite got another stellar effort with three touchdowns and always was around the ball.
1. Donovan McNabb: Wins the top ball two weeks in a row from me: he could have just crumbled under the immense pressure from the Dallas D, but he didn’t, and he kept finding people right and left with the little time he got.
Honorable Mention: Asante Samuel and David Akers

Numbers and Stats of Interest:
-With his game tonight, Jackson becomes the first rookie receiver in NFL history since our very own Don Looney back in 1940 to start his career off with back-to-back 100 yard receiving games (guess working with Jerry Rice did him good).
-Dallas committed ten penalties for the game, marking the second straight week they were in the double digits (in Cleveland last week, they were flagged 11 times).
-During the game, the lead changed hands SEVEN times: after Philly took an early 3-0 lead, Dallas led 7-3, then Philly led 20-14, then Dallas led 21-20, then Philly led 27-21, then Dallas led 31-30, then Philly led 37-31, then Dallas led and won 41-37.
-McNabb had 281 yards passing for the game: in comparison, he had 297 yards in the first half of the season opener against the Rams last week.
-The Eagles were three of five inside the red zone scoring touchdowns, and three of four with goal to go: in comparison, the “best red zone D last year” allowed Dallas to score three out of three in the red zone, and two of two from the goal to go.
-The game set the record for most points scored both on Monday Night Football and also Eagles-Cowboys history with 78 total points.

Despite being a very hard fought game in which it was painful to watch us lose, the Eagles STILL need to work on a LOT of things if they want to keep going towards their goal, namely coverage on kicks and punts (both ours and the opponents) the offensive line HAS to handle the 3-4 better, and our secondary can’t keep getting beat deep like they did tonight. Oh, and I would also like to see this defensive line do a LITTLE bit better then it did tonight as well.

Eagles VS Rams Review

2008-09-08T17:22:00.002-04:00

The thrill of the season opener for both the players and the fans had to be tapered by the resistance to overshoot the outcome of it, as the Philadelphia Eagles kicked off their 76th season in the NFL at Lincoln Financial by hosting the St. Louis Rams, who last year were 3-13 but hammered by injuries. But yet you can only taper so much before the enthusiasm settles in and it is go time, and now that it is all said and done and week one is finally in the books, you only continue to contain the amount of words you could use to describe Sunday’s performance. Among them words you could choose dominating, you could choose controlling, you could choose overpowering, or you could choose magnificent as the Eagles started the season 1-0 as they rolled all over the Rams 38-3.

So much, then, for those starters being rusty huh?

The Eagles stormed out of the gates with two touchdowns on their very first two drives of the game, and even when they slowed down and punted three straight drives after that, the Eagles defense made sure that the Rams weren’t bound to be playing catch-up anytime soon. And Special teams, which had been lacking some solid return man and cover guys, looked pretty darn good on Sunday as well, in particular a little punt returner and receiver named DeSean Jackson. The win solidifies what we all expected to see from the Eagles in the opener without giving off too much against the fact that they only did it because they were playing the Rams because let’s face it, Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson are multi time pro bowlers as is Torry Holt, and they ALL played every single minute in the game on the offensive side of the ball for St. Louie.

Quarterbacks: Wow, when the receivers alluded to the fact that Donovan McNabb was once again the Donny Mac of old, they sure as heck weren’t lying about it. During the first half alone, McNabb accumulated 297 yards passing and hit anyone that had a set of hands and wore white jerseys: for the game he completed 21 of 33 passes (for 63.6%) with 361 yards (as of the two Monday night games, the most yards of any quarterback in the first 14 games) and three touchdowns to get a QB rating of 131 for the game. The best thing about him during the game might have been something not in the passing numbers: he was never sacked and was able to roll where he wanted to and found who he wanted while also running one time for three yards. In fact, the Eagles felt he did SO well they sat him late and gave Kevin Kolb meaningful season time in the game, and he did not disappoint either: Kevin nailed five out of six passes for 53 yards and had a rating of 103.5. As a whole, the two who numerically follow one another combined for 414 yards and were never sacked once during the game.
Unit Grade: A+ (100%)

Running & Full Backs: It was just another day at the office for Brian Westbrook…or was it? The mighty back who led the team and all backs last year with 90 receptions got more touches running the ball far more as opposed to his receiving touches, as he ran 19 times for 91 yards and posted a touchdown while only catching two passes for a yard and another touchdown to total 21 touches for 92 yards and two touchdowns. Lorenzo Booker had a limited role in his first season game as an Eagle, carrying the ball five times for nine yards while Correll Buckhalter carried the ball two times for five yards, and in his first game as the fullback, Tony Hunt ran two times for three yards including a goal line touchdown and caught a pass for two yards. The unit averaged 3.4 yards a carry, but no one other then Westbrook (4.8) even cracked the 3-yard mark.
Unit Grade: B (85%)

Wide Outs and Tight Ends: Remember when the members of the Philly media made it a big point to remind everyone who would listen that without the services of Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown that we had no one to throw the ball to? I’ll bet that after that game, they were going into hiding or were trying to duck what they said in hopes of not hearing it from the guys they questioned. THREE Eagles receivers all topped the 100-yard mark, and be it as cheap as some of them may have been, it still happened, as Jackson razzled and dazzled in his first season game with six receptions and 106 yards (and including his punt return numbers, he had 14 total touches and 203 yards total) as Greg Lewis hauled in five catches for 104 yards and LJ Smith had five catches as well with 39 yards and a touchdown. Jason Avant had three receptions for 45 yards while Brent Celek had two catches for 15 yards, both coming from Kolb. But it was Hank Baskett who had the catch and run that stole the show with a 90-yard touchdown catch that put his 84 and 87-yarders to shame from back in 2006: for the game he had two catches and 102 yards.
Unit Grade: A (93%)

Offensive Line: Well now, with the way they dominated today, you would just as soon forget that William Thomas had back issues and that Shawn Andrews had off the field issues that kept him to only one preseason game and missing training camp. Donovan and Kevin collectively had enough time to place a call to Domino’s, sit and wait for their delivery, pay and tip the driver, and then eat their pizza all in the same duration with the big men in front laying out blue jerseys right and left. In fact, not only did they not allow a sack the whole game, but according to the NFL game book, they only allowed two tackles for a loss and not even ONE quarterback hurry on either #4 or #5. And remember folks, guys like Max Jean-Giles and Nick Cole were in when Kevin was in, so we DID replace some people. My one and only MINOR complaint is that the 3.4 yards a rush for the running platoon needs to improve a bit from that number.
Unit Grade: A (95%)

Defensive Line: Now then, how smart were Andy Reid and Tom Heckert to keep Darren Howard instead of “J-Mac”, and how smart was the person who moved Dan Klecko back to defensive tackle and goal line lead blocker? In fact, 1.5 of the four total team sacks came from two guys that we were all pretty sure wouldn’t be on the roster at this point, but now we are better for it. Klecko contributed a sack, a tackle for a loss, and a quarterback hurry but was also a good road block and also a lead blocker for Hunt‘s touchdown. Howard combined with Mike Patterson on a sack and while both got a hurry for it, Howard got the tackle for a loss. And the other linemen saw scat work come there way while the above three stole the show: Trent Cole had three total tackles (2 solo and 1 assist) Broderick Bunkley and Juqua Parker combined on a Jackson tackle, and Chris Clemons had a pass defense. But the short of the long is this much: the entire unit worked to allow a former pro bowl selection in Jackson only 40 yards rushing on the day.
Unit rating: A- (90%)

Linebackers: Okay, so Jimmy Johnson might be going a little bit sinew at his rather experienced age, but he proved the “experts” foolish for doubting that Stewart Bradley wasn’t ready to be the man at MIKE. Both Bulger and Jackson were in danger when #55 was in the area as he co-led the team with nine total tackles (8 solo and 1 assist) and also posted two tackles for a loss, a sack, a QB hurry, and also had a pass defense to his name. In fact, Bradley was such a PIG in the stat column that Chris Gocong and Omar Gaither were pretty much cruising on easy street with one tackle apiece, and Akeem Jordan also found his way in for one tackle as well.
Unit Rating: A- (90%)
“Big Blue” Rating: A+ (100%)

Secondary: And so we understand now why Quintin Mikell, even with a healthy Sean Considine, is the starter at strong safety and why Sean is #2 there because the man makes plays everywhere on the field. Mikell co-led the team with nine tackles (7 solo and 2 assist) with a sack, a tackle for a loss, and a forced fumble which, unfortunately, we did not pick up from Bulger. Brian Dawkins covered everyone without much discrimination and logged a tackle and a pass defense, while Sheldon Brown logged two tackles, including a bell ringing shot to Jackson which channeled his hit on Reggie Bush in January of 2007 (and also, isn’t Jackson a Drew Rosen-dork client?) while Joselio Hanson, Lito Sheppard, and Considine all had one tackle each, Considine with a loss on hitting Jackson. And just to prove that the Eagles defense is a stigmatism for a lack of turnovers, interception machine Asante Samuel in his first game as an Eagle had three pass defenses, but two of them were easily intercepted by him if he was a PATRIOT.
Unit Grade: A (92%)

Special Teams: What a difference the off-season can make for one unit: just nine months ago, the Eagles employed four or five different kick return men with little to no results, and also a slow but steady punt returner with guys who couldn’t really cover very well. Now all of a sudden, that has gone by the way side (well, except for the kick return aspect of it) as Jackson excited with his moves on punt returns, averaging 12.1 yards a return on eight with a long of 60 yards, getting back to the Rams nine yard line saved only by a tackle from Rams punter Donnie Jones. David Akers made his one and only field goal attempt of the game and all five extra points, while Sav Rocca used his boot for four punts and an average of 41.5 and net of 42, and also shocking us with his three punts inside the twenty. Of course, this is also in large part due to the two times Quintin Demps knocked the ball down and two subsequent times Jordan downed it deep. Jordan notched two tackles on teams, while Hanson, Considine, Avant, and Hunt all had one apiece. Oh, and Dante Hall, at one time called the “Human Joystick”, averaged 18 yards a kick return on five of them: apparently, someone broke the stick and didn’t replace the controller.
Unit Grade: A (95%)
“D-Jack” Grade: A+ (99%)

Coaching: Flawless execution on all three fronts, and the means to stay aggressive and not let up on the Rams late is good in my book. Oh, and as far as the pass calling ratio yesterday, we ran 71 total offensive plays, 39 of which were passes and 32 of which were runs, so it turns out to be 55-45 pass-run. That is not too shabby at all in my opinion, and the gun slinging was very effective, so we could have stood to do it even MORE if Andy felt it necessary to! Oh, and for the love of God, would some PLEASE tell Samuel it is OKAY to catch passes that hit you in the hands?
Unit Grade: A (95%)

Ripper’s Three Game Balls:
3. Stewart Bradley: Handled his first game of the new season at MIKE with ease, and dominated both Marc and Steven like they were average players.
2. DeSean Jackson: Amazing at receiver and punt returner: begs the question, along with the others, as to WHY we need a big name receiver after all.
1. Donovan McNabb: The man proved that with time, the ability to make decent receivers look like all-pros is as easy as slapping makeup on a decent looking girl and turning her into an Eagles Cheerleader!

Numbers and Stats of Interest:
-The Rams finished the game 0-for-11 on third down attempts, and also finished with 3.7 yards a play on offense: in contrast, the Eagles doubled that number with 7.4 yards per play on offense.
-Only one time did the Rams succeed in passing into Eagles territory, which was during their early fourth quarter drive for their only points of the game.
-The Eagles receivers averaged 15.9 yards per catch.
-After being criticized for not punching in touchdowns inside the red zone, the Eagles settled that issue with four touchdowns on five red zone attempts.
-The Eagles average starting field position was at their own 31 as opposed to the Rams, who started off on average at their own 17.
-Out of the nine penalties committed by the Rams, six of them were false starts, and four of them were committed by four different linemen.

And with that, this column is closing out with three words on my mind right now: BRING…ON…DALLAS!

Season Preview: Defense

2008-09-02T04:43:00.002-04:00

Shut-Down CB......check

Pass Rush Specialist....check

Defensive Line Depth......check...

The three things the Eagles were lacking last season have been corrected. On the first day of Free Agency the Eagles went out and signed CB Asante Samuel. He was the automatic starter. The next day they signed DE Chris Clemons. The potential of this kid is great. 8 sacks last season while only playing 37% of the defensive snaps. With more playing time and Jim Johnsons blitzing schemes, look for a couple more sacks. Then they drafted Trevor Laws and added Dan Klecko. This solidifies the DT position.

The Eagles kept 6 DE's on the roster. Trent Cole leads the way. With 13 sacks last year, look for him to possibly increase that number this year. Juqua Thomas (Parker) is on the other side. He is a solid player. Victor Abriami injured his wrist early in preseason. He will miss the first couple games. When he returns, he adds size to the line. Rookie Bryan Smith has all the tools to be another Cole. All he needs is time to develop. Darin Howard is back again and can be used inside or out. It's a solid unit that will get some pressure and create plays.

Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson form a standout DT team. With Laws and Klecko backing them up, it might be the best DT rotation we've had since the Gang Green days.

The LB's are all young. Three years is the maximum experience level for any of them. But they will be good. All three of the starters are 245 or more. All have speed. It's just the experience I am worried about.

MIKE Stewart Bradley looks promising. In the two games he played last season as the starter he looked incredible. For hi to carry that over into this season would be great. He looks like a future Pro-Bowler. Omar Gaither moves over to the Weakside spot. It's a spot he played his rookie year. He has the experience there to be a great player. Chris Gocong again fills the Strongside spot. Another year in the system now, he looks more comfortable.

The backups are all young also. But again they show potential. Rookie Joe Mays was a standout in preseason. Some feel he could easily be inserted as the starter at MIKE. Akeem Jordan, like Bradley, played well last year at the end of the season. He can play all three spots if necessary. And Tank Daniels was brought back in after being cut by the Giants. He knows the Eagles system already. He is a ST standout. Someone we haven't had since Ike Reese.

The CB situation the Eagles have is a great one. Lito Sheppard was shopped around after the addition of Samuel, but the Eagles could not get a fair price for him. With Samuel, Sheldon Brown and Sheppard, the Eagles have three Pro-Bowl caliber CB's. Look for more take-a-ways than last season from this group. Joselio Hanson rounds out the CB position. He is a solid CB who plays mainly in the nickel and dime packages.

Brian Dawkins is back perhaps for his last season. The All Pro S leads this group with his attitude and experience. Quinton Mikell starts opposite Dawkins. Q had a solid season last year filling in for Sean Considine. Considine is back, but not the starter. He will see time though, as will JR Reed. Both these two add different elements to the position. Considine is a good cover Safety, while Reed is an excellent blitzer. Demps is the final S on the team. He will not see too much action there this season barring injuries. He will be used mainly on Kickoff returns. He is an explosive player. A year in the system and he will be ready to go.

Pressure, takeaways and redzone defense. Three keys to this years team. A top 5 defense in the league? It's quite possible. Growing pains for the LB's might be the only major setback we have. But overall this defense looks like the most solid one the Eagles have had in quite a while.

2008 Season Preview...Offense

2008-08-27T16:12:00.003-04:00

Last season the Philadelphia Eagles finished the season with a three game winning streak putting them at 8-8. The team knew what it's weaknesses were and went out and addressed them the best they could. The red zone offense was terrible. It is the area they need to improve the most in order to have any shot at winning.

Offensively the Eagles made plays for WR's Randy Moss, Larry Fitzgerald and Roy Williams. In the end we drafted Desean Jackson. And what a great pickup it was. Jackson has really impressed people this preseason. He may emerge as a Steve Smith clone.

The offense of course revolves around Donovan McNabb. A healthy McNabb will equal a great McNabb. We the fans all know how great he can play. But others feel differently. A 3,000 yard passing season is not out of the question by far. What is questioned is how he will distribute the ball.

Kevin Kolb and AJ Feeley will again be the backups. But this time the roles are reversed. This year Kolb starts out as the number two guy. He is slowly developing into a solid QB. Another year in the system and he will be the heir apparent to McNabb.

Brian Westbrook is....well....Brian Westbrook. Some say he is the second best back in footbal next to LT. I will agree with that. He doesn't get the carries others do, yet he has back to back 1000 yard seasons. Westbrook is good for at least 60 catches out if the backfield. My favorite quote about Westbrook is this..." He'll outrun a Linebacker and run over a Safety". Can't remember who said it but it is true.

The Eagles brought in Lorenzo Booker to take some pressure off of Westbrook. Booker s another small, shifty back with great speed and hands. Look for him to be split out wide at times to help crete mismatches.

Correll Buckhalter is the power back. Buck has made it back from two major knee surguries to become a solid reliable RB. He is the change of pace back we need.

The FB position as of now is up in the air. Former Penn State star Tony Hunt is being tried out at the position. Hunt is a player the Eagles don't want to lose, but with Westbrook, Buckhalter and Booker, there isn't any room for Hunt. Should he win the position, he will be counted on to get tough yards and open holes for our RB's. Blocking wasn't his thing last year. So hopefully he learned more this year.

Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown are both nursing injuries. Curtis is more severe. A sports hernia that he had surgery on. He will be out a few weeks. And after that he won't be 100%. So it's time for the other WR's to step up. Hank Baskett is a 6'4 big bodied WR. He will be counted on more in the redzone this year than last year. Jason Avant had a good game here and there last year. This year he needs to get more involved. And of course there is Greg Lewis. Love him or hate him, the guy is a 3rd down option that usually makes it an automatic first down.

L.J Smith is back healthy from last year. Brent Celek was a rookie who played very well last year. And Matt Schoebel is...... well I can;t desribe what he brings to the team. All I know is the TE's in this offense are used in a majority of plays. These guys know they have to produce. It's just a matter of producing.

The offensive line is another question mark. Of course the starters are pretty much set.
RT Jon Runyan, RG Todd Herremans, C Jammall Jackson, LG Shawn Andrews, LT Williams Thomas. After that it gets cloudy. Only OG Max Jean-Gilles is a lock. There are a couple other young offensive lineman that could get spots over some vets. It is one area that we need great solid depth for.

This team hs a great mix of veterans and youth. The red zone offense should be improved from last year. The Eagles didn't have a problem moving the ball last year. The problem was scoring. With some of the weapons we added along with healthy players, look for the Eagles to again be a top 10 offense in the league.

2008-08-17T18:51:00.003-04:00

The following is by Chase:

After our first two preseason games, I'd like to take a look back at the 80 players in camp and see what the roster might look like. There are still alot of battles to be fought and positions to be filled but taking it position by position helps put into perspective.

Quarterbacks: 3

1. Donovan McNabb
2. Kevin Kolb
3. AJ Feeley

* No surprises here. The only possibilty I see other than this right here is that we only carry two quarterbacks, but I don't see that happening.

Runningbacks: 3

1. Westbrook
2. Booker
3. Buckhalter

* There is still a chance for Hunt to prove himself worthy of the roster but I don't think that it will be at the expense of anyone at his position. He looks to be catching balls and getting his blocks in, he's going to have to show off in Pre Season to make it harder for this coaching staff to cut him.

Fullbacks: 1

1. Jason Davis

* Davis has openly admitted that Luke (Lawton) is ahead of him on special teams but Marty Morninwheg has said that he believes that Jason has the upper hand as of right now. I personally liked what i saw from Jed Collins in camp, but if I had to choose one right now, this minute, Jason Davis. I like his attitude.

Tight Ends: 3

1. LJ Smith
2. Brent Celek
3. Matt Schobel

* I added Schobel's name just to put a name in, truthfully I have no idea really where the Eagles are going to go. I like what I see from Gasperson but I would think that he would be extremely raw in the blocking aspect of the position which might prevent him a spot. Kris Wilson hasn't dazzled anyone in camp but still has ample oppurtunity to prove his worth to this staff. Considering the variables at this point I would think it would be bold of me to scratch a veteran of his offense off the roster to make room for a guy that A. Might not be complete at the position or B. Hasn't proven himself of more value yet. Like I said, Schobel's name is in there but I wouldn't be surprised if the staff chose EITHER of the other two players.

Left Offensive Tackles: 2

1. Tra Thomas
2. King Dunlap

* I think of King much like a Pat McCoy figure...amazing potential but still needs time. As much as this FO has put into the offensive line, King gets in basically because he is the only guy at the position. The only competiton he is getting is from Franklin Dunbar who is now sidelined with a lower back injury. Everynight before you goto bed, pray for the health of our starting offensive tackles.

Right Offensive Tackles: 2

1. Jon Runyan
2. Winston Justice

* Again, the depth at offensive tackle is disgraceful and is the one are of this team that really bothers me. Virtually no legit competition at the position for #2 and Justice finds himself on a familiar side of his USC days.

Left Offensive Guards: 2

1. Todd Herremans
2. Mike McGlynn

* I expect Todd to really improve over his performance from last year and I think McGlynn's versatility could really benefit this football team. It's so hard to analyze the offensive line in Camp because there is so much going on but McGlynn plays with a certain intensity that I like to see...what I little I actually did see from him. With Herremans though, he broke even in his one on one's against Bunkley and I think that's a good thing.

Right Offensive Guards: 2

1. Shawn Andrews
2. Max Jean-Gilles

* Shawn is really pissing Reid off to say the least and Max has been get valuable...no...PRICELESS time in there with the 1's and apparently really making strides. This is a good thing considering the talks of moving Andrews to tackle next season atleast we know we have an adequette replacment at guard.

Centers: 2

1. Jamaal Jackson
2. Nick Cole

* With training camp winding down and preseason about to begin, Nick Cole is still on the roster as the #2 center. His only competition seems to be Scott Young, a player that the Eagles have apparently been down on for some time now.

Wide Receivers: 5

1. Reggie Brown
2. Kevin Curtis
3. Jason Avant
4. Hank Baskett
5. DeSean Jackson

* The Eagles could chose to carry six here, who knows? Why would they? Because Greg Lewis is a good football player and has not shown any reason to be cut this year. Shaping a roster does become a numbers game and good players become casualties because of it, but if there is a way Lewis will be on this team this year. However, going with the standard five receivers the Eagles normally carry, Avant, Baskett and Jackson have just played so well this camp to be denied a spot. Look for Shaheer McBride to have an offer for the PS.

Left Defensive Ends: 3

1. Juqua Parker
2. Victor Abiamiri
3. Chris Clemons

* One of the most talented defensive linemen of any camp that I've seen. Most every defensive end not only has a chance to make the roster but to also earn some playing time this season IMO. Hopefully Big Vic can make a speedy recovery and be on the field and allow this line to perform at it's full potential this season.

Right Defensive Ends: 3

1. Trent Cole
2. Darren Howard
3. Bryan Smith

* Cole is a lock and Howard would possibly get the vote for break out player of Training Camp. Bryan Smith has been sidelined most of camp with some kind of foot injury but his first day of practice notched a sack and a pass deflection.

Defensive Tackles: 4

1. Mike Patterson
2. Brodrick Bunkley
3. Trevor Laws
4. Dan Klecko

* The fourth defensive tackle spot IMO is going to be the big discussion in Reid's office when it comes time to make the final cuts. To me, Dan Klecko has out performed both Kimo and Montae so far in Training Camp, partly due because Kimo has been hampered with a knee injury for most of it. With that being said if Klecko looks the best why would there be a discussion about it? Well look at the picture here, first off, Klecko wasn't brought in as a defensive tackle to begin with. Second, he's small. He seemed to have gotten his weight back up but overall stature by far the smallest defensive linemen in camp. Klecko is definitely fighting uphill but I think that what he has shown in camp so far I don't feel bold at all by penciling him in here. In my mind, he's the fourth best defensive tackle in camp right now ecspecially with Kimo sidelined. Move over Nick Cole, Klecko could be the new lead blocker on the goal line.

Weakside Linebackers: 2

1. Omar Gaither
2. Akeem Jordan

* Both Omar and Akeem seem to have the tools this defense looks for out of their linebackers and I don't expect the coaching staff to change their mind between now and the time of final cuts.

Middle Linebackers: 2

1. Stewart Bradley
2. Joe Mays

* Joe Mays has shown that he is willing to work hard and get dirty. Mays has been able to turn a couple heads with his ability to lay the wood and is improving his coverage ability. A project with upside.

Strongside Linebackers: 2

1. Chris Gocong
2. Rocky Boiman

* At times Andy Studebaker really looks like he could make a push for the roster and at other times looks completely out classed. Boiman appeared to me to be alot more comfortable in the defense on Monday than he was the first time I went last week and just looks like the better player. Andy does have some upside and seems like the type of guy that is willing to put in the hard work to get better so he would be a prime candidate for the practice squad. But if I had to pick a guy to go to war with between Rocky or Andy and at this point I would have to go with Rocky.

Cornerbacks: 5

1. Asante Samuel
2. Sheldon Brown
3. Lito Sheppard
4. Joselio Hanson
5. Therrian Fontenot

* The first four IMO are no brainers but to me the fifth spot is still wide open. I think Kyle Arrington has flashed alot of potential as well. Nick Graham on the other hand just hasn't made a play that I'VE seen the entire camp. I put Fontenot on there considering he's the guy that has stood out the most to me personally BUT on the Eagles depth chart he's listed as the 5th right corner while Arrington is the third left corner. I would take that with a grain of salt, the position will be won in Pre Season on special teams. We'll see.

Free Safeties: 2

1. Brian Dawkins
2. Quintin Demps

* I think Demps posesses the right skill set they want in a free safety and could be the most believable replacment for B Dawk currently on the roster. Not to mention the Eagles like we he could also bring to the return games on special teams. Though Reed had a good showing last season filling in, I don't think that he's showing quite enough in camp to deter the Eagles from taking a chance on Demps.

Strong Safeties: 2

1. Quintin Mikell
2. Sean Considine

* With a pestering shoulder injury apparently behind him, Considine seems pretty convince that the Eagles coaching staff has a plan for him in the defense regardless if he's a starter or not. If that's the case, I can't imagine them choosing Marcus Paschal over him. Though Marcus has shown flashes of potential here and there he's pretty much blended in for the most part.

Specialists: 3

K: David Akers
P: Sav Rocca
LS: Jon Dorenbos

* If you have caught Training Camp Live on PE.com you might have noticed a couple kids standing behind Dave Spadaro for part of the show holding a sign that says, "Show B-West the $$$", but what I don't think that you did see was the other side of that sign...the other side reads, "Show Jonny D the $$$". Yes, that's right, Jon Dorenbos has a fan following at camp. With the three having an entire season and offseason to work together, keeping this unit together might be the best thing for David Akers to return to the form we're used to seeing him at.

Preseason Game 2: Eagles - Panthers

2008-08-11T18:52:00.001-04:00

Pro Bowl running back Brian Westbrook and the rest of the Eagles (0-1) return home Thursday, Aug. 14 to host the Carolina Panthers (1-0) at Lincoln Financial Field. Kickoff for this nationally-televised home contest is set for 8 PM (on FOX).

Donovan McNabb and the offense hope to pick up where they left off in Pittsburgh, where they scored a touchdown and a field goal on their first two drives. McNabb completed 10 of 13 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown during a little more than a quarter's worth of work. Westbrook, who did not play against the Steelers, figures to make his preseason debut against the Panthers. The defense, meanwhile, will look for improvement in stopping the run.

The game will also offer fans a first-hand look at some of the newest Eagles, including cornerback Asante Samuel, defensive end Chris Clemons, running back Lorenzo Booker, as well as top draft picks, Trevor Laws and DeSean Jackson, who impressed in his first outing.

Carolina, which is coming off an overtime win against the Colts, is led by quarterback Jake Delhomme, who missed most of last season due to injury. He has weapons in running back DeAngelo Williams and receivers Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad, who returns to the Panthers after three seasons with the Bears. Defensive end Julius Peppers leads the Panthers defense.

This figures to be a critical year for Panthers head coach John Fox, whose team boasts a 17-8 mark in exhibition play during his tenure. Unfortunately, the summer success has not carried over into the regular season the last two years, with Carolina finishing with 8-8 and 7-9 records the last two seasons.

The Eagles and their fans will be keeping a close eye on the Panthers in 2008, thanks to a draft-day trade that netted Philadelphia Carolina's first-round pick in 2009. Back in April, Philadelphia traded the 19th overall pick in the draft to the Panthers for the 12th pick in the second round (No. 43 overall), the 10th pick in the fourth round (No. 109 overall) and a first-round pick in 2009. The Panthers subsequently used the 19th overall pick to select tackle Jeff Otah out of the University of Pittsburgh.

This marks the second straight preseason in which the Panthers will visit Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles won last summer's meeting, 27-10. Under head coach Andy Reid, the Eagles are 13-25 in preseason play.

Rest of Article

Roster Breakdown: Tight Ends

2008-08-07T05:10:00.000-04:00

Roster Breakdown: Tight Ends

The bond that Donovan McNabb and LJ Smith has shared since Smith was made a 3rd round pick by the team in 2003 is one that can be viewed as a great situation as one thrives off the other, but we haven’t seen that as of late due to injuries to both men. It becomes important then that if Smith wants his big money as a free agent, or if he gets it here from us next year, he will have to come out and play the best football of his career and also hold off the other guys as well.

Smith is arguably one of the most prolific tight ends to suit up for the Eagles outside of Keith Jackson, and his all around athletic ability has always made him Donny’s favorite target inside the red zone. But ever since he took over for Chad Lewis, who retired after the 2004 season, he has yet to put it together, for two years due to McNabb getting injured and then last year when McNabb struggled early and then Smith came back too quick from sports hernia surgery and went right back onto the injured list. With both men coming back at 100% after a great late season run, look for Smith to return to his ways as a big red zone touchdown machine.

We saw, in spurts, what 5th round pick Brent Celek was capable of last year, and he should get more time to prove himself regardless of what Smith’s status in the lineup is. Celek often played more then most rookies we had been known to play due to the injuries to Smith and also Matt Schobel as well, sometimes making him the only tight end we would carry on the team for a week. His blocking will need to be worked on a little bit, but his pass catching ability is pretty strong as is, and he MIGHT even be starting as soon as 2009, depending upon the progress he makes in year two in the NFL.

It is a homecoming of sorts for Kris Wilson, who grew up around the Philadelphia area and went to high school here before going to college at Pittsburgh and learning for four years behind arguably the best tight end in the game Tony Gonzalez in Kansas City. Wilson is an unproven commodity because of this, but the fact that they would sign him for three years shows perhaps there is something the team knows at we don’t know however.

But what I do know however is this signing cannot mean good things for Schobel, who we signed back in 2006 but he has failed to prove his worth, going as far to let Celek push ahead of him last year for playing time when Smith was hurt. Schobel will be fighting to keep his spot on the team now.

What I think happens: Smith and Celek are locks, and while the signing of Wilson doesn’t mean he is going to make the team per se, I would be worried if I am Schobel and I think he is going to have to fend off Wilson until the final cuts. Look for Wilson, due to his pending upside, to earn the last spot.

Roster Breakdown: Wide Receivers

2008-08-02T09:05:00.001-04:00

The Eagles will go into training camp with 11 receivers on the roster despite the collapse of NFL Europe this past year.

Huh? What’s one got to do with the other you ask me as I see the confusion on your face through my computer screen.

Allow me to elaborate on that: with the NFL Europe shut down, each team lost the right to carry eight players in that league, then the right to bring them over for training camp, meaning instead of going to camp on day one with 88 players, per league rules, they could only carry 80 players in instead. I guess I am still surprised that 11 out of 80 spots on the roster are devoted to receivers, that is all.

With that aside, let’s run down all of Donny Mac’s potential route runners, starting at the top with Kevin Curtis. One year into the 5-year deal he signed after departing from St. Louis, Curtis became our first legitimate #1 receiver since Terrell Owens left town, with numbers similar to TO’s except for touchdowns wise. Curtis has a great burst and tempered his route running ability while serving as the slot receiver and 2nd man due to Isaac Bruce injury in the “Greatest Show On Turf” during his tenure with the Rams. Curtis did well for us last year, and should get better when a true #2 man is found.

Which of course is where Reggie Brown comes in to play at. Our 2A pick in the 2nd round of the 2005 draft, Brown has shown flash in the pan potential to close out the 2006 and 2007 season but he must put it together for 16 games and he will become a very capable 2nd receiver across from Curtis when he does. Big things are expected from Brown not only from others but from himself and as well as they should be.

The prominent slot receiver role is wide open this year, and one of the biggest (no pun intended) guys there in Hank Baskett would be perfect for the role. After a rookie year which saw him post up two 85+ yard touchdowns en route to a 24-catch season after being traded from Minnesota to Philly for Billy McMullen, people dashed him for having a less effective second season but when you look at the injuries at tight end, you notice that Baskett lined up as a second tight end a lot which severely limited his effectiveness. With four willing and able tight ends on the team this year, that should be no problem for Baskett.

Another candidate for the role would be Jason Avant, another third year pro like Baskett. Avant got off to a hot start in 2007 with nine receptions in two games (he had seven his whole rookie year, in contrast) but ended the year with only 16 catches. Avant is not the loftiest receiver and he will not win many foot races, but his route running and possession skills will keep him in the hunt for the slot role.

But who can forget about the loveable Gregory Lewis? Lewis, who has made a killing as a 3rd down target the past two years, is alongside Jamaal Jackson the last two longest running un-drafted players we have left and for good reason. Lewis has been capable of doing what the Eagles asked him to do (from starting as the 2nd receiver in 2005 to being the slot, 4th, or 5th receiver) and this is a reason why he is still here, along with his world class work ethic.

And then of course there is DeSean Jackson, the man who has created a huge buzz in Philly with his all-around world class speed and athleticism. It remains unknown as to where Jackson, our 2B pick in the 2nd round of this year’s draft, will fall in the receiver depth chart, but without a doubt, his name is going to be at the top of the depth chart for punt returns and will also be featured in the top-3 for kicks too.

It seems every year that Michael Gasperson tries to make the team, and it seems every year he cannot either due to injury or the numbers game. And now with Jackson on the team, Gasperson really is at a further strain to make the team, but still, I have to give it to him for trying out once more instead of leaving and trying another team like Bill Sampy did.

Coming in from the New Orleans Saints, Jamal Jones will also look to compete for a roster spot. The fact that he comes from such a prolific offense is appealing, but one must also remember that he was never prominently featured, so he remains not only an unproven commodity, but also a camp body as well.

Coming in from the New England Patriots, Bam Childress spent a year on their practice squad and will try to avoid the same fate in Philly. Still, Childress, at 5’9” and 180 LBS, might be a bit undersized in the battle for a roster spot and comes off as, again, another camp body.

Our first un-drafted rookie camp body comes from local Delaware State in Shaheer McBride, a true feel good story but appears to be nothing more then camp bait and perhaps practice squad material due to his size (6’2” 205).

Our second un-drafted rookie camp body comes from Nebraska in Frantz Hardy, someone who appears to be a first wave cut IMO.

What I think happens: Past Curtis, Brown, and also Jackson (for return reasons) no one is an assured lock. Avant, Baskett, and Lewis will all have to prove their worth, and one of them will be left as the odd man in the equation, and I am really looking at Avant for some weird reason UNLESS we keep six receivers opening day, but I have not remembered us doing that. It will then look like Curtis, Brown, Baskett, Jackson, and Lewis while the other receivers you can just forget about them.

Roster Breakdown: Running Backs

2008-07-30T04:47:00.000-04:00

Roster Breakdown: Running Backs

There was not much else that could be asked from #36 last year: Brian Westbrook broke two standing team records in one magnificent season which saw him to go the Pro Bowl yet again. Westbrook broke the club record for most receptions in a season as his 90 catches eclipsed Irving Fryar’s previous record of 88 receptions in a season dating back to 1997, and his 2,108 total yards from scrimmage broke the club mark get by Wilbert Montgomery of 2,004 total yards back in 1979. And yet for all of this, Westbrook is convinced that he is in for a longer and bigger payday, and it remains to be seen if he gets his way or not.

The depth behind him is four strong, but each man comes with their own story to tell. Let’s start with Lorenzo Booker: the Eagles traded a 4th round pick to the Miami Dolphins during this year’s draft and brought him in for the mini camps and also with the rookies and selected veterans on Monday as well. Booker provides us with not only a good solid running back and speed aloft, but he will also give us a clear cut option for kick returns, something we oh so lacked in 2007.

Then there is Correll “General” Buckhalter: the old timer of the group and the 8th year veteran from Nebraska has seemed to have fended off the injuries which ravaged his career up to 2005 with a solid 2006 and 2007 campaign, including a 100-yard effort in a Sunday Night loss week four to the New York Giants. Buck has done everything that the team has asked of him to date and despite all of his injuries early on, the team never gave up on their former 4th round pick in 2001.

One interesting factor will be the role for 2nd year man Tony Hunt, the team’s 2B pick in the third round last year. Many have speculated that it was Booker that the Eagles wanted as opposed to Hunt in 2007, so does trading for the former mean that the latter could be phased off of the team? Let’s face it, his blocking, for being a “bigger” back, didn’t exactly win over any critics either.

That brings us to Ryan Moats, who had an impressive rookie season in 2005 on a team that was totally far from impressive. He tailed off production wise in 2006 but proved a viable kick return man and missed 2007 all together after getting injured in the first pre-season game. For speed running we have Westbrook and Booker, and the latter will also double as a kick return man, so it seems imperative that Moats is likely to be the odd man out of the picture.

What I think happens: Well as I made mention of in the above paragraph, we don’t ever carry five backs, so Moats in my mind is the first cut, but the question is will we carry four backs again like last year while keeping Satokei “Reno” Mahe for kicks and punts? It seems likely, because the team won’t want to give up on Hunt after one bad season, Buck is in the last year of his contract anyway, and Booker and Westbrook are locks assuming the latter doesn’t hold out for any unseen reasons. It then becomes a question of how many carries Westbrook gets, and how much work Booker gets out of the backfield as well.

Position Breakdown: Quarterbacks

2008-07-23T17:42:00.002-04:00

For the past decade only one person stands out as the Qb for the Eagles. Donovan McNabb. He may very well be the best QB Philly has ever had. And after three years of turmoil and injuries, he is back and ready to go.

Donovan is the man here. No doubt about that. Ask anyone on the team and they will tell you the same thing. It's his team. He is set to deliver one of his best seasons ever. He is healed from the torn ACL suffered in 2006. He is healed of the hernia in 2005. He is healed of the tendinitis that kept him out of OTA's. And a healthy McNabb is a dangerous one.

Whatwe would like to see is the old McNabb back. The one who kept defenses honest with his legs, then exploiting them with his arm. We want to see the precision passes he throws. We want to see the running ability he's shown throughout his career. We want McNabb at his 100% best.

Kevin Kolb is being groomed as his replacement. A rookie last year, Kolb is now set to take the number two spot. He had plenty of practice at the OTA's when McNabb was kept out. He ran the first team offense and by all accounts looked great. He may not be ready for a ful time position just yet though. But he has a strong arm and great instincts with the ball.

Kolb will be the starter here someday, but not this year. He may get some action if we are in a blowout game. Hopefully he sees some action I should say.

A.J. Feeley played two great games against the Seahawks and Patriots last year. It's just too bad he threw more INT's in two games than McNabb did all year. .....or close to it. He will be the number three guy this year unless for some reason the Eagles get a great offer for him. I don't see it happening though.

McNabb, Kolb, Feeley.

The great one, the next one and ..... well I can't think of anything for Feeley.

Realistic Look At Eagles Season

2008-07-15T04:53:00.000-04:00

With Training Camp right around the corner in ten days time (from the moment I type this on the 11th of July) and just about every preposterous season preview book throwing around predictions and playing favorites as they always do, I figured that yours truly would take this opportunity to look at the season schedule for the Eagles and offer his two cent piece on what record we are capable of coming up with. Now, keep in mind of course that this is going to be assuming that, if the team does suffer injuries, that they will be minor ones or the transition between the starter and backup is as seamless as possible.

First, the schedule for the Eagles’ 2008 season:
Week 1 - St. Louis Rams (9/7/08)
Week 2 - @ Dallas Cowboys (9/15/08)**
Week 3 - Pittsburgh Steelers (9/21/08)
Week 4 - @ Chicago Bears (9/28/08)*
Week 5 - Washington Redskins (10/5/08)
Week 6 - @ San Francisco 49ers (10/12/08)
Week 7 - Bye Week
Week 8 - Atlanta Falcons (10/26/08)
Week 9 - @ Seattle Seahawks (11/2/08)
Week 10 - New York Giants (11/9/08)*
Week 11 - @ Cincinnati Bengals (11/16/08)+
Week 12 - @ Baltimore Ravens (11/23/08)+
Week 13 - Arizona Cardinals (11/27/08)***
Week 14 - @ New York Giants (12/7/08)+
Week 15 - Cleveland Browns (12/15/08)**
Week 16 - @ Washington Redskins (12/21/08)+
Week 17 - Dallas Cowboys (12/28/08)+

*Denotes Sunday Night game at 8:15 PM on NBC
**Denotes Monday Night game at 8:30 PM on ESPN
***Denotes Thursday Night game at 8:00 PM on NFL Network
+Game subject to being moved to SNF or 4:00 PM slot from a 1:00 PM slot

My take on the schedule is as follows:
Week 1 - St. Louis: A good early test to see how well our secondary has come along since the injured players have returned and we will see Asante Samuel in his first game as an Eagle: the offense can really help its self against a weaker defense.
FINAL: Eagles 34 Rams 17 (1-0)

Week 2 - @ Dallas: Last year in Irving, a Brian Westbrook knee sealed the win and a season split with the Boys, but Tony Romo didn’t play as well as he had in other games prior. He should be back in form and Dallas will deal Philly an early season loss to level our heads.
FINAL: Cowboys 20 Eagles 13 (1-1)

Week 3 - Pittsburgh: If the Eagles want this game, Donovan McNabb needs to bring his A-game because it will be essential. The run defense of the Steelers should keep our backs in check, and the defense will be in a long day against the duel running attack of Rashard Mendenhall and Willie Parker and, of course, Big Ben chucking the ball to Hines Ward and company. But consider this: last year, Pittsburgh was 11-5 but only 4-4 on the road, including a very poor overtime loss to a then ONE WIN Jets team: home field cooking will help.
FINAL: Eagles 24 Steelers 20 (2-1)

Week 4 - @ Chicago: Last year, the Bears embarked on a final drive which ended with their previously dormant offense striking and them winning 19-16, but they are hardly half the offense they were as opposed to last year (if you can believe that) and it will really fall on the Bears defense. If we can even chip in 16 points we can win.
FINAL: Eagles 19 Bears 9 (3-1)

Week 5 -Washington: The Skins are now coached by Jim Zorn after Joe Gibbs retired to go back to his racing team. This game kind of worries me because of their win in Philly last year on prime time none the less, but I really think our offense, which sucked in the first two games last year, will be clicking by this point.
FINAL: Eagles 21 Redskins 13 (4-1)

Week 6 - @ San Francisco: We have no idea who their quarterback is, how much more Frank Gore can handle, and just how much better their secondary is going to be, which makes this game a winnable one.
FINAL: Eagles 28 49ers 14 (5-1)

Week 7 - Bye Week: Oh, we can beat that one right?

Week 8 - Atlanta: The Falcons are a team with little to no direction for now, so it is best to jump on them while they still suck I suppose.
FINAL: Eagles 34 Falcons 10 (6-1)

Week 9 - @ Seattle: This is going to be a tough one for us: we couldn’t win at home against them thanks to FOUR AJ Feeley interceptions last year, and playing at Qwest Field isn’t an easy thing for opponents to do.
FINAL: Seahawks 23 Eagles 17 (6-2)

Week 10 - New York: Believe me when I say that we OWE it to ourselves to beat this team at home…anything less is a freaking disgrace.
FINAL: Eagles 20 Giants 17 (7-2)

Week 11 - @ Cincinnati: This is quite an interesting game: will the secondary withstand “Canon” Carson and the chemical receivers they possess? A better question: will they know how to play defense by then?
FINAL: Eagles 35 Bengals 21 (8-2)

Week 12 - @ Baltimore: This will be the first time former special teams coach John Harabaugh will be coaching against the team that brought him into the NFL, so knowing us could give the Ravens an advantage. Of course, in order to maximize that advantage, they will need a quarterback and an offensive line that will actually play first for that to happen.
FINAL: Eagles 17 Ravens 3 (9-2)

Week 13 - Arizona: Our rendition of the third wheel on Thanksgiving Day, we will welcome back Rod Hood to Philadelphia, but the Cardinals won’t be welcomed: after all, it will be a late November game for a team that is used to the Southwest heat, and by this game, Tim Rattay and Tim Hasselback will be splitting the quarterback duties for the Cards probably.
FINAL: Eagles 31 Cardinals 20 (10-2)

Week 14 - @ New York: Due to us having ten days off between games and the fact that sweeping New York doesn’t seem likely, I will give them the win this time, but we will be waiting for them…IN THE PLAYOFFS!!!
FINAL: Giants 16 Eagles 13 (10-3)

Week 15 - Cleveland: This is quite an intriguing match-up: Cleveland, like their interstate rival, is known for their overpowering offense but could use a brush up on their defense. The Eagles win VIA withstanding a barrage of Browns offensive fury and delivering their own and the uppercut KO punch.
FINAL: Eagles 35 Browns 28 (11-3)

Week 16 - @ Washington: Should I be concerned that we are in Washington this time around? No, because since 2000 we are 7-1 in Washington with our only loss coming during that dismissal 2005 season.
FINAL: Eagles 24 Redskins 17 (12-3)

Week 17 - Dallas: Say, you think the division will STILL be on the line between the Blue N’ Silver and the Green N’ Silver by this time? Yeah, me thinks that is a possibility, and I think, using the late December weather in Philly, we can overcome the Boys to earn a season split between us for 2008.
FINAL: Eagles 23 Cowboys 20 (13-3)

Well there is my prediction: 13-3! Now, I DO see two swings games, those being the Steelers and the Browns games which were hard for me to pick, so AT WORST, I see this team going 11-5 but using my calculations, I see 13-3.

Position Breakdown: Special Teams

2008-07-10T04:22:00.000-04:00

Special Teams:
Many people will say that David Akers accuracy is dropping year by year and that 2007 was his worst yet, but still he goes into camp as the man going into his 10th year in the league. Sav Rocca, who beat out Dirk Johnson for the punting job last year, should be better with his accuracy this year, but he must first beat Richmond McGee, a duel kicker and punter rookie free agent from Texas. Long snapper Jon Dorenbos (emphasis on the first two words) will return to do that duty, and the return units have received some much needed upgrades with the drafting of DeSean Jackson, the trade for Miami Dolphins back Lorenzo Booker, and also Correll Buckhalter and even Sheppard can handle the return duties.

What will happen: Akers will kick, Rocca will punt, and Dorenbos will likely hold the same post he did last year even though he doesn’t PLAY another position (something the previous long snapper, Mike Bartrum, had no problem with) while Booker will get kick returns, Jackson will handle punt returns, and since Mikell looks to start fulltime, Boiman will be the captain of special teams.

Position Breakdown: Secondary

2008-07-06T10:22:00.001-04:00

Cornerbacks:
Much has been said and will continue to be said about the surprise signing of Asante Samuel by the front office, and a lot of it has been said by the media (pay them no mind) but we do not know what Lito Sheppard really thinks about the situation. As it sits, we have arguably the best trio in the game with Samuel, Sheppard, and Sheldon Brown on board and another in Joselio Hanson who can step up and man nickel when we need him to and plays as a great dime back. That leaves one spot open and four people competing for it: 2nd year undrafted rookie Nick Graham, free agent Therrian Fontenot, 4th round pick Jack Ikegwunou out of Wisconsin, and rookie free agent Kyle Arrington out of Hofstra.

What will happen: As mentioned, the top four spots are under lock and key, unless the Eagles feel their depth (what, with four guys competing for one spot mind you) is strong enough that they can trade Sheppard, which would make it Samuel-Brown-Hanson then instead of Samuel-Sheppard-Brown-Hanson. Look for Fontenot to win the 5th and final spot, while Graham and Arrington go on the squad and in order to keep Jack, they will put him on the IR.

Free and Strong Safeties:
Injuries piled up last year at safety, and this year, not only are the wounded coming back, but they will flanked by some new blood as well. Brian Dawkins, the longest tenured Eagle on the team, defensive leader, and hard hitting football God, will return for his 13th season at free safety and will more then likely be joined by up and coming Quintin Mikell, the former special teams leader. That is to say, however, that Sean Considine, who was made the starter in week six but has missed large amounts of two seasons with a shoulder injury, doesn’t win it back from him. The team used their 4th round pick on Quintin Demps out of UTEP as someone who is more then likely going to be the future free safety on this team if we figure this right, but don’t forget about JR Reed, who re-joined the team after week one last year, and Marcus Paschal, who spent 2007 on the squad.

What will happen: Other then Dawkins returning to free safety, there is nothing else here that we can take for granted: no doubt Considine will be back to make his case for strong safety against Mikell, and adding Demps further convolutes the depth chart. My call is that on opening day, Dawkins and Mikell will start, Demps and Considine will backup, Paschal will either be released or go back on PS, and since return units are looking stronger now, Reed may be a cut.

Just A Hunch

2008-07-02T04:20:00.001-04:00

From SixerFan78:

I was talking with my pop a couple days ago about the Birds, and he really gets the sense that they could be gearing up for a serious run in 2009/10......I told him I was little skeptical, but I decided to do a little research on the idea......I came up with these thoughts:

1. The Eagles have 9 picks next year, including 2 first rounders.......With all the talent in next year's draft, I'd be disappointed if the Eagles didn't walk away with atleast a minimum of 2 immediate starters at positions of need.

2. They will have cap space as always......Question is, will they use it in the right spots during FA?......WR, TE, S, OT, PK, P, and FB all COULD be needs after this year, unless a few players step up this year.

3. Quite a few elite receivers will most certainly be available via the trade market......Chad Johnson, Roy Williams, and Anquan Boldin could all be available since they will be closer to FA.....Those teams will look to move them more next offseason than they did this offseason......With a good amount of early picks and available roster players, I will be really pissed if they don't target a legit #1. (Hell, I'm still pissed they haven't gotten a #1 target this offseason)

4. The age factor of the team's core.......I've said this in another thread, but I'll say it again......This could be the last year for Dawkins, Smith, Runyan, Thomas, and even Akers ......If these guys have solid seasons, and they attempt to resign some of these guys, then I think that will show their intentions for the possibility of making a run in 2009/10.

5. Will McNabb stay and will Sheppard be dealt?.....If Mcnabb shows he is healthy and returns to form this season, this is his team, not Kolb's......If Lito proves he can stay healthy, I'd imagine it will increase his trade value or the possibility of the Eagles trying to keep him.

6. Most young players should be ready to take the next step by then:
-(Andrews and Cole are already probowl players)
-(Bunkley and Patterson should also make it to a few in the near future too)
-(Gaither, Gocong, Herremans, J. Jackson, Curtis, and Brown have all proven to be pretty good players, so it would be nice if they can improve their play a bit more)
-(Bradley, Abiamiri, Justice, Hunt, Jean-Gilles, and Celek all have potential to be good to great starters or backups, but time will tell with them.......All 6 of them could likely wind up being a big part of the Eagles core in 09)
-(Clemons, Mikell, Hanson, Avant, Booker, Parker, and Jordan should all be good to great backups this season, and it shouldn't be surprising to see most of these guys take a significant amount of snaps this season)
-(Laws, Jackson, and Demps could all potentially fight for starting spots as early as this year, but most of the other picks from this year shouldn't contribute too much.......Most of these picks will contribute in 09/10......One name to remember is Jack Ikegwuonu.......If he is 100%, he could possibly claim the nickelback spot next year if Lito is moved.

I haven't written the Eagles off this season because I think they should be a very good team this year......I'm just not sure if I'm ready to call them a Superbowl contender right now, but you never know......After doing a bit of research, I can tell you it opened up my eyes a bit to idea that my dad brought up........There is certainly more question marks this season than there will likely be in 09/10.......With that being said, does anybody agree with the idea about them gearing up for a Superbowl run in 09/10, rather than this year?

Position Breakdown: Linebackers

2008-06-29T09:52:00.000-04:00

Linebackers:
Much can be said about the starters of the team and pretty much the depth in general here: all these guys are VERY young still. Yet if history has taught us anything, that really isn’t all that bad: the leader of the unit has to be Omar Gaither, who started six games at WILL in 2006 and all 16 games in 2007 at MIKE linebacker, but looks to go back to WILL full time with the emergence of Stewart Bradley, who had two strong starts at MIKE late last year. Bradley moving to MIKE means that Chris Gocong, the starter at SAM last year after missing his rookie year in 2006 with a stinger, won’t have to worry about him dueling over SAM with him. Akeem Jordan, a rookie free agent out of James Madison, showed some spurts of skill last year late and will figure not only into special teams but also the job at WILL, while the team picked up former Titans and Colts starter and special teams leader Rocky Boiman (oh, how fitting of a first name for him to have in this city!) to compete for the SAM spot with Gocong and lead the special teams unit. The team also has Pago Togafau, who they picked up from camp cuts from Arizona last year, and three rookies in Andy Studebaker, Joe Mays, and Justin Roland as well, compiling nine linebackers for six spots.

What will happen: The trio of Gaither, Bradley, and Gocong are all going to start and will continue to prove their worth as well, but depth is where we need to find the answers: I put Jordan in to backup WILL, Boiman will backup at SAM, and Studebaker will backup at MIKE while the team will keep Mays and Togafau and put them on the squad.

Position Breakdown: Defensive Line

2008-06-25T16:20:00.002-04:00

The first part in a series leading up to Training Camp:

Defensive Ends:
Once upon a time, the Eagles had a problem finding someone to tag up on the right end with Jevon Kearse, their big free agent signing back in 2004, but now Kearse is gone back to Nashville. Now the team needs to find someone who can man left end opposite Trent Cole, their pro bowl defensive end coming off a career best 12.5 sacks in 2007, but that shouldn’t be that big of a problem. Juqua Parker, formerly carrying the last name of Thomas, started the final five games of last season but will face competition for his starting spot from free agent end converted from linebacker Chris Clemons and also 2nd year pro Victor Abiamiri, the teams second pick in the second round of the 2007 draft from Notre Dame. Factoring into the equation as he does every year will be Jerome McDougle and also Darren Howard, who has been reported to have slimmed down and is in the best shape of his life, and don’t forget Bryan Smith, the team’s 3rd round pick this year out of McNeese State.

What likely happens: Cole will be locked in at right end as he has been the last two years, but left end is one spot that is going to be the focal point of all training camp: I will go out on the limb and say that Abiamiri gets it IN THEORY because Parker will also see a lot of snaps but Victor will be the 1st down left end: Parker and Clemons will serve as the top backups, while Howard will nudge his way into the 5th spot. As for Jerome, he will get his long awaited release from the team, and Bryan will likely be put on the practice squad.

Defensive Tackles:
Mike Patterson and Broderick Bunkley can form one of the top tackle duos in the NFL as they progress to their prime: Bunkley had a bad rookie year before taking a sharp 180 turn last year to provide a sense of run stuffing we needed, while Patterson has not been one to shy away from quarterback pressure. The depth however is a spot that has been lacking and is probably a good reason why the team used their first pick in the second round on Trevor Laws out of Notre Dame and former teammate of Victor. He will compete with Montae Reagor, who the team signed last year as a free agent away from Indianapolis, and also Kimo Von Olhoffen, who the team let go after a year contract but decided to bring him back in early June for training camp. Another interesting factor is Dan Klecko, who the team originally signed to fill depth for fullback but then they decided to move him back to his most recent position at tackle (remember, he entered the league with New England a linebacker and went to Indy as a tackle and goal line blocker).

What likely happens: Patterson and Bunkley just aren’t the future of this team, they are also the present: the 1st round picks of 2005 and 2006 are locked in as the starters. Laws, upon the news of his signing and getting into camp, will likely be the first man off the bench and Reagor will be the second man off the bench, while Von Olhoffen will be the 5th spot to alternate games with Reagor. This, of course, leaves Klecko out of the equation, no sooner after he came to the team as a fullback.

Training Camp Battles

2008-06-22T07:40:00.004-04:00

It's almost that time of year. Training Camp. Time to watch young players battle it out with veterans and earn spots on the Eagles roster. It will be a tough, grueling couple of weeks. Intense battles will loom as there are 80 players vying for 53 spots. Those not selected to the active roster might have a chance to end up on the Practice Squad.

The biggest three battles in Training Camp IMO are as follows:

Offensive Line, Tight End and Fullback.

Last year the Offensive Line was banged up at different times. Only C Jammal Jackson was healthy enough to play all 16 games. This year health will again be a key.

Starters this year again should be LT William Thomas, LG Shawn Andrews, C Jammal Jackson, RG Todd Herremans and RT Jon Runyan.

That is not etched in stone though. Winston Justice has been taking reps at OG. We drafted Max Jean-Gilles last year as an OG. And this year we added three more OL hoping to make an impact.

Mike Gibson is a 6'3 305 lb OG. He has good blocking techniques and may be able to slide outside to a OT position.

King Dunlap is a 6'8 310 lb OT who has long arms and a mean streak. Think of the second coming of Jon Runyan.

Mike McGlynn is a 6'4 311 lb OG who like Gibson could swing outside and play OT.

These three rookies will battle it out with veterans Nick Cole, Scott Young, and Stefan Rodgers for spots on the roster. It should be an interesting battle to watch.

The next big battle will be the TE position. Currently we have four on the roster. LJ Smith is coming off an injury filled season. He is back healthy and expected to be the number one TE.

Brent Celek was a rooie last year but played like a veteran at times. He received extensive playing time due to Smith's injury. Look for him to emerge as a number two TE this year.

Matt Schobel had an OK season. He was brought in to take some pressure off of LJ Smith but it hasn't really happened. I don't look for him to retain his spot this year.

Kris Wilson was brought in to add size and speed. He spent the last couple years in Kansas City behind All-World TE Tony Gonzalez. Playing behind him for four years should have some positive effect on Wilson. The Eagles like his speed and hands. He could emerge as a dangerous threat as the season progresses.

The last big battle to watch is the Fullback. It is a rarely used position by the Eagles, but an important one when we do use it. Jason Davis should be the starter. But there are concerns about his health. Davis has been injured the past two seasons. But when healthy, he is a quick, sure handed FB.

Luke Lawton was brought in from the Colts to add some competition. Like Davis, Lawton is beginning his third year. But unlike Davis, Lawton has seen the field. His experience could give him an edge.

And finally the rookie Jed Collins. He has everything to gain and nothing to lose. He is a former TE brought in to play FB. With Smith, Celek and Wilson here, there is virtually no chance for him at TE. But at FB he knows how to block and catch. Learning the playbook is another story. But if he can master it, he has as good a chance and Davis and Lawton.

There are other battles in TC that will merit watching, but these three IMO will be the best ones.

Tough Decisions Ahead

2008-06-14T09:45:00.001-04:00

Sometime between now and the start of training camp on July 21, Eagles coach Andy Reid is going to have to release eight players who participated in the just-completed organized team activity (OTA).

The demise of NFL Europe robbed the Eagles and the rest of the NFL of the roster exemptions they were allowed to use at the start of training camp. As a result, only 80 of the 88 players who were running around the NovaCare Complex the last two months will be allowed to make the trip to Lehigh University.

Reid and his staff will carefully review the tapes from the minicamps and OTAs before making the cuts in hopes of avoiding a mistake similar to one he made while an assistant with Green Bay.

"The coaches and I were just talking about that on the field today," Reid said after Thursday's final OTA. "The first guy that came to mind was (Arizona Cardinals quarterback and former league MVP) Kurt Warner. We had him in Green Bay (in 1994), and he was afraid to even go in and call the plays in the huddle. And yet, the guy's one of the greatest players to play in this league.

"I was wrong. It happens. You never know, so you give people a shot as long as you can give them a shot. And then you have to make the judgment call. You're not always going to be right, but hopefully you're right more than you're wrong."

The Eagles' cuts this week will mostly be comprised of rookie free agents who were long shots to make the team, anyway.

There are four such players among 11 wide receivers currently on the team and three among the 11 linebackers. One or two rookie free agents usually wind up making the regular-season roster, but it will be difficult this season because of the depth at most positions.

"A couple of us really tried to step it up today and show the coaches something," said Gary Butler, a linebacker from Division II California (Pa.). "I thought I had a real good day, and I can only hope the coaches see some potential. We'll just have to see how things play out."

There could be some surprises on the list. Dan Klecko, who signed as a veteran free agent, now finds himself near the bottom of the depth chart at defensive tackle after getting switched from fullback earlier in the week. Michael Gasperson, a three-year veteran of the Eagles' practice squad, is back at wide receiver after a brief stint at tight end.

Reid and his staff could even decide that some veterans would be better off seeking employment elsewhere. If that's the case, defensive end Jerome McDougle and running back Ryan Moats could be packing their bags soon.

McDougle, the Eagles' first-round draft pick in 2003, is entering the final season of the six-year, $9.5-million contract he signed as a rookie. Most of his first five seasons were a waste, due to a myriad of injuries and a gunshot wound suffered just before he was due to report to training camp in 2005.

The 29-year-old has played in just 33 career games and has three sacks. He missed all of last season with a torn triceps. The addition of veteran free agent Chris Clemons and third-round draft pick Bryan Smith left McDougle as the seventh defensive end behind starters Trent Cole and Juqua Thomas, plus Victor Abiamiri, Clemons, Darren Howard and Smith.

"I don't want to just make the team; I want to make a difference," McDougle said. "I was a first-round pick for a reason. When I'm healthy, I can play with the best of them. The coaches must know that or they would have gotten rid of me a long time ago.

"I feel good right now, and hopefully I can stay that way. If I can, it will be up to me to seize the bull by the horns and take advantage of the opportunity when it comes my way."

Moats, a third-round pick in 2005, also missed all of last season after suffering a broken ankle during the first preseason game.

Moats showed flashes of potential as a rookie, averaging 5.1 yards per carry while rushing for 278 yards. But he rarely left the bench the following season while he struggled to master the playbook and was hampered by fumbles during training camp last summer before he got hurt.

The Eagles traded for Lorenzo Booker during the draft in April to serve as Brian Westbrook's main backup. Correll Buckhalter and Tony Hunt are also vying for roster spots with Moats.

"I stopped worrying about that stuff a long time ago," Moats said. "I know what I can do, and (the coaches) know what I can do. I've proven what I can do when I've been given the opportunity, but I just haven't had a lot of opportunities.

"I don't know when my next chance will come around, but when it does, I'll be ready. Hopefully, I'll still be here, but if not, I guess that's just the way the cookie crumbles."

LINK TO ARTICLE

Flyers 08 Playoff Review

2008-06-06T15:51:00.002-04:00

The Unexpected Run Playoff Review:
The Philadelphia Flyers 2008 Post-Season in Depth
By The RipperEagle-Flyer

After the unexpected success that the season had brought to the Philadelphia Flyers, predicting what would happen when the team made the playoffs was an even more of a tricky situation. Because for the Flyers, their first opponent was the Washington Capitals, a team that had made the playoffs by winning the Southeast Division title on the second to last day of the season and were dubbed as the hottest team from either side going into the playoffs. And the first series proved an ecstatic high and a pitfall low for the Flyers: after blowing a two-goal lead in the opener, the Capitals won the game 5-4 but the Flyers would split in Washington with a 2-0 win before pulling out both wins in Philadelphia by scores of 6-3 and 4-3, the second game in double overtime. However, the low hit when the Capitals went back to Washington for game five and won it 3-2 before going back to Philadelphia to win game six 4-2. But the Flyers put an end to that one as they went back to the Verizon Center in DC and forced overtime at what time the Flyers won about six minutes into the first overtime 3-2 to take the series in seven games.

Only two days later, the Flyers semifinal match-up with the Montreal Canadians would start: Montreal, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, put away the Boston Bruins in similar fashion to how the Flyers beat the Capitals in seven games. And as was the case with the opener against Washington, the Flyers built another two goal lead only to see Montreal tie the game up with 29 seconds left in the game and then they won it 50 seconds into overtime as Montreal took game one. But much like the previous series, the Flyers would take away home ice advantage with a 4-2 win at the Bell Centre before returning to South Philly to win both home games again by scores of 3-2 and 4-2, the first of which was made 3-2 due to a five minute boarding major assessed to Defenseman Derrian Hatcher. But the Flyers went back to Montreal in game five managing to do what they couldn’t do in game five from DC, and that was close out the series at the first available chance as they defeated the Canadians 6-4 to win the series in five games!

As Philadelphia had closed out Montreal on Saturday, the Flyers would only have to wait one more day to find out their opponent, as the Pittsburgh Penguins went on to eliminate the New York Rangers on Sunday in a 3-2 overtime victory to win their series in five games as well, setting up for the turnpike series. And the Flyers, for the third straight series, would go on to lose their first series game 4-2 but only this time, they were unable to win game two as the Penguins won again by the same identical score. But even South Philly was no comfort for the Flyers, as they lost 4-1 in game three from Wachovia Center before managing to avoid being swept with a 4-2 victory in game four. But it was of little use, as the Flyers were decimated by the Penguins in game five 6-0, which was the most amount of goals the team had allowed in one game and the most since the five in the Capitals series opener.

And just like that, after 17 playoff games and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, the season was over for the Flyers. But once again like with the season, it did not come without stories and some admittance of pride along the way: after all, the Flyers not only gunned down a pair of division winners, but one (Washington) was the HOTTEST team going into the playoffs, and the other (Montreal) finished tops in the East and third in the NHL in points with 104 during the season.

And one thing that was noteworthy was the dominance of one certain player in each series: in the Capitals series, Daniel Briere posted six goals and four assists for ten points in seven games, and worked his chemistry to a mastery with Vinny Prospal. In the Canadians series, RJ Umberger, who had 13 goals all season including six against the Penguins, had EIGHT goals and an assist in only five games against the Habs and played like he was seemingly everywhere at once. And in the Penguins series, the only serious bright spot was Mike Richards, who had three of the teams’ nine goals in the series and three assists in five games.

And the run marked the first time that goaltender Martin Biron, who is 30-years old, made the playoffs and started all games, as he compiled a 9-8 record with a shutout and 2.97 GAA and a 0.904 save percentage. That isn’t exactly a stellar showing by any means, but when he was hung out there to dry as much as he was thanks to that putrid defense, those numbers are far misleading and to be honest, his only bad games were the opener against the Capitals and the final game against the Penguins, surrendering 11 of the 52 goals allowed in them two games alone.

But enough about the summary crap: it is time to break the column down to analyze the players by their playoff production (or in the case of some, lack there of) and as I did with the season review, the players will be reviewed by forwards from most to least points and then defenders from most to least.

Flyers Forwards:
#48 Daniel Briere
On a team that had many players with little or no playoff experience on it, the addition of Briere, who was in the playoffs with the Phoenix Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres previously, paid dividends early on in the Capitals series with his six goals and four assists. But after that series, Briere became more and more distant and the ineffectiveness of him and Prospal became more evident. In fact, after the quarterfinals round, Briere was actually a plus three (as opposed to his horrid minus-22 in the season) but would end up a minus-three for the playoffs but yet he still led the team with 16 points and six power play goals while finishing second on the team with a 20% shooting accuracy.
Player Grade: B+ (88%)

#20 RJ Umberger
Umberger would have had a decent playoff run had it not been for the Montreal series, which is what really put him on the map. For the playoffs, Umberger was the only Flyer to post double digits in goals (10) which included eight of them against the Canadians in the semifinals and finished with 15 points total. Umberger was unstoppable against Montreal, which is something he usually saves for the Penguins but he was only there against them and Washington.
Player Grade: B+ (88%)

#18 Mike Richards
We already knew that Richards was a man of many talents and skills, but even I was not aware that he could be a game changer like he was in many wins this post-season: despite the seven goals, it doesn’t go as far as to show how his hitting and checking created chances not only for himself but also his line mates. Richards often got under the skin of the other team’s superstar forwards with his hitting, and his ability to bury shorthanded chances (he had the only two shorthanded goals on the team) were uncanny: his 53 shots were also second most on the team.
Player Grade: A (93%)

#40 Vinny Prospal
Prospal appeared, as the stats say, in all 17 games, but you would be hard pressed to tell me that after the first four games against Washington that he was actually ever ON THE ICE at all because he managed all three goals he scored in the first four games and seven of his team high ten assists in the first series. After that he was MIA, managing only three points in ten games after the first round while also being broken up with Briere for the last two games against the Penguins against whom he managed only one assist in five games.
Player Grade: C- (70%)

#17 Jeff Carter
Considering that Carter was the leading shooter for the Flyers during the season, there wasn’t much surprise at all that he again did it with 72 shots in 17 games. But perhaps what was surprising was the fact that he only scored six goals and was most famous for his stick blade breaking at the worst possible time (see game one of the Canadians series). For the playoffs he ran with Mike Knuble and Scottie Upshall in the “Action Line” and posted 11 points for the duration.
Player Grade: B (85%)

#15 Joffrey Lupul
Lupul had done everything right except for put a puck in the net, but yet he was the one who won the series for us against the Capitals and scored the game winner the very next game against Montreal: for the playoffs he had four goals and six assists for ten points with only one penalty taken in 17 games.
Player Grade: B (83%)

#19 Scotty Hartnell
The team’s ultimate agitator in the Capitals series, he was most famous for running into and right over top of Capitals goalie Cristobel Huet, but just as famous for his passing ability and top line quality opportunities, as he finished with three goals and four assists and tied for third on the team with 20 penalty minutes. Much like his running buddies however, he would also finish in the minus with a minus-2 rating.
Player Grade: B- (80%)

#22 Mike Knuble
Prior to injuring his MCL in game five against the Capitals, Knuble was a force with Carter and Upshall: in 12 games he posted three goals and four assists for seven points and had one game winning goal in game four going into double overtime against Washington. His playoff experience was notably a big help to the younger forwards that he worked with.
Player Grade: B (87%)

#9 Scottie Upshall
If the season often appeared as night for Upshall, then the playoffs were clearly his light: Upshall turned up his annoying factor and went to work making plays and punishing the opposition with three goals and seven points, including the game winner which sent us to the finals in game five against Montreal. Coach John Stevens might have had problems with Upshall and his consistency during the year, but in the playoffs he more then proved his worth.
Player Grade: B+ (89%)

#34 Jim Dowd
The ten team warrior was what you expected him to be: a valiant face-off man, a bumper and grinder, and a penalty killer as he posted a goal and two assists in 17 games played. His time might be up in the NHL, but he reminded everyone why he made it this far and played as long as he did.
Player Grade: C+ (78%)

#24 Sami Kapanen
A hard worker but of little advantage anywhere, Kapanen played 16 games and scored on two gimme goals (both in the Capitals series: one was a give away right in front and another was when the goalie got run into by his own defenseman) but he finished a minus-4 for the playoffs.
Player Grade: C- (70%)

#25 Patrick Thoresen
Thoresen played in 14 games, missing one due to the flu in the Capitals series and two because he was scratched in the Penguins series and I was happy, until I saw Steve Downie turn the puck over for two costly goals, then I was happy to see Patrick back: he posted two assists and a plus-1 rating.
Player Grade: C (75%)

#27 Steve Downie
Downie might have had a decent season when he was upstairs and he might have been our top pick in 2004 and he might have a good chance at the roster next year, but that didn’t mean much when he did play in the playoffs. Downie played in six games, posting one assist, a minus-2 rating with some stupid defensive end turnovers, and ten penalty minutes.
Player Grade: D (65%)

#32 Riley Cote
Played in three games (all against Washington) due to the injury suffered by Knuble, and did not record a single stat, not even a penalty minute.
Player Grade not available

Flyers Defenders
#44 Kimmo Timonen
The team’s best defenseman during the season and one half of the shutdown unit against Washington and Montreal (along with the player listed below here) the team suffered a serious blow when Timonen was forced out for the first four games of the Penguins series only to return in game five. For the playoffs he played in 13 games and recorded six assists and a plus-3 rating, which was a plus-5 rating prior to the 6-0 drumming administered by the Penguins in his return game.
Player Grade: A (95%)

#5 Braydon Coburn
The other half of the playoffs shutdown duo as mentioned in the Timonen entry, Coburn would befall his own problems in game two of the finals when a puck nailed him right above the eye and he would miss the final three games of the playoffs due to the swelling around the eye. But up to that point, he had played in 14 games and registered six assists (like Kimmo) and a plus-4 rating with 14 penalty minutes while showing great improvement, beyond that of his season progress as well.
Player Grade: A (95%)

#2 Derrian Hatcher
While playing on a bad knee which needed drained every game was a sign of courage for old Hatch, his play indicated that he probably would have been better off just sitting out instead. Hatcher played in 15 games and posted a goal and two assists while placing second on the team with 40 penalty minutes but it remains a mystery to me how he was a plus-2 for the playoffs. Not only has Hatcher slowed down to a crawl, but his penchant for taking stupid penalties nearly cost us on many occasions, one good one being game three of the Canadians series.
Player Grade: C (73%)

#26 Jaroslav Modry
Why I am wasting an entry on this guy is a hard one to understand, so just know that he played in nine games and had three assists, but he was a team low minus-6 (in only nine games mind you once more) and proved nothing when he was in.
Player Grade: F (55%)

#21 Jason Smith
Another badge of courage must be given to Smith, as we find out after the fact that both shoulders were hurting him, but still, this does nothing to assume the role that he didn’t fill as our “Captain” with two assists and a minus-4 rating.
Player Grade: D+ (68%)

#26 Lassie Kukkonen
I will admit to being one of the most outspoken and Anti-Kukkonen clan members, but as the playoffs went on, he actually got stronger, as he played in 14 games and had two assists and was a minus-1 for the playoffs but hey, considering he was always paired with Modry when Mod was in, that is a rating made of gold!
Player Grade: C (77%)

#2 Randy Jones
Jones was playing well with Hatcher as the second defensive pair, but when Timonen went down injured, he got shuffled between the top two pairs and when Coburn went down, he was thrust into the top defender role and admittedly, he didn’t seem to be ready for it. But he still managed to do what he could with little to no help at all, as he played in 16 games and two assists with a team best plus-6 rating to combat the other deadbeats below him.
Player Grade: B (85%)

#77 Ryan Parent
Parent made his playoff debut in game one against the Capitals with both Jones and Hatcher out, and did not reappear until game three of the Penguins series, but he was steady and much better then Modry, Hatcher, and Smith in his own end and playing transition. Parent played in four games and posted an assist and a minus-1 rating but was not called for a penalty.
Player Grade: B- (80%)

Flyers Goaltenders
#43 Martin Biron
For as strong as Biron was in the playoffs through spots, it would be worth noting the team might have done better overall had the defense played better for him then it did. Still, Biron managed nine wins and a shutout while posting up a GAA slightly under three (2.97) and a save percentage just over nine (0.904) while making many quality saves on the top stars in the league. Again, this writer is left to question just how much better he would have been had the defense been better.
Player Grade: B+ (89%)

Flyers 07-08 Season Review

2008-06-03T16:31:00.001-04:00

The Big Turnaround Season Review:
The Philadelphia Flyers’ 07-08 Season in Depth
By The RipperEagle-Flyer

After what transpired during the Flyers’ 2006-07 season campaign, nothing could be worse in the 2007-08 season: the year prior, the Flyers finished up with a woeful 56 points and only 22 wins en route to the worst record and point total in the league. During the days leading up to the trading deadline last year, Paul Holmgren, who was appointed General Manager after the team relieved long time GM Bobby Clarke of his duties, went to work making trades right away, and John Stevens, who had coached the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL to the Calder Cup in 2005, was put in charge of the bench after the team fired Ken Hitchcock. Knowing the team was mathematically alive to make the playoffs yet realistically eliminated, Holmgren found willing trade partners for veteran forward Peter Forsberg, the big name free agent the Flyers signed prior to the 2005-06 season and had originally drafted by in 1991 prior to the Eric Lindros mega deal, and defenseman Alexei Zhitnik. In exchange, the Nashville Predators acquired Forsberg for young forward Scottie Upshall and defenseman Ryan Parent, and the Atlanta Thrashers gave up defenseman Braydon Coburn, their first round pick in 2003, for Zhitnik.

And the off-season noted many more huge trades and one free agent signing, as the team lured Buffalo Sabres center Daniel Briere away from his ex-team to the tune of a 8-year 58-million dollar contract. Holmgren also went to work with trades, moving veteran forward Geoff Sanderson and defenseman Joni Pitkanen to the Edmonton Oilers for grizzled veteran defenseman Jason Smith and promising forward Joffrey Lupul, and acquiring prolific defenseman Kimmo Timonen and annoying forward Scott Hartnell from the Predators in exchange for their 1st round pick and the one that they got months earlier in the Forsberg trade.

But now, after that long drawn out paragraph and a half, you may be asking yourself, “Did these trades pay off or what?” And I am here to say that it certainly paid off…BIG TIME!

The meshing of this team was seamless for one that had undergone nearly a full facelift, and the end result was far better then anyone on the team probably was hoping for and it far exceeded the critics who wrote the team off as being in a slump. With a new captain in charge (Smith) and assistant captains (Timonen and Mike Richards) the Flyers showed off early why they would make a big comeback, and by the end of the season, they completed a turnaround which included 20 more wins (from 22 to 42) and 39 more points (from 56 to 95) from the season before. The Flyers also had a penchant from drawing scoring from many a different source, as they led the league with six players who tallied 20 or more goals on the season (although, that would be five original players, since Vinny Prospal was brought back to Philly the day prior to the trade deadline because he had 33 goals).

But while those changes were good, not everything was rosy for the team: going into the month of February, the team was tops in the Atlantic Division and 2nd best in the Eastern Conference, trailing only the Ottawa Senators by as few as four points prior to their ten game losing streak, which saw them go 0-8-2 and gain only two points out of a maximum 20 possible. Injuries, like with most teams, also affected the Flyers as well, as Lupul missed 26 games this season (thanks in large part to Derrian Hatcher, who decided to run him over and in the process he suffered a spinal cord contusion and a mild concussion) and Simon Gagne missed 57 games and the playoffs due to a concussion, and then soon after coming back, suffered from post-concussion syndrome. Hatcher himself would miss 38 games while Richards, RJ Umberger, Coburn, and Randy Jones all missed time at one point or another.

Another issue with the team was goaltending: the duo of Martin Biron and Anterio Niittymaki both went through streaks where they dominated (hence the fact that, even though he was the back up, Anterio still won 12 games) and then times where they were not able to be carried by the defense or times where they were let down by the defense. In all, Biron still managed to win 30 games, the first one since Roman Chechmanek to do such, and gained a proper head of steam going into the playoffs with two straight shutouts over New Jersey and Pittsburgh.

And who could forget the defense: this unit was often victimized by not only opposing forwards but also injuries as Hatcher missed the most time, and the play of “Captain” Smith was hardly anything to write home about. On the other hand, Timonen perhaps came off as the best all around acquisition the team made during their rebuilding mode this past year, and Coburn and Jones both improved by leaps and bounds as the year progressed into the playoffs.

But enough about this summary stuff, as I want to review the players on the team and what kind of impact they ended up having on each unit (forwards, defense, goaltending, and special teams).

Flyers Forwards:
#18 Mike Richards
Having been compared to a young Bobby Clarke, Richards has started to live up to the mantra in every respect from scoring to making plays and being a team leader, although I doubt you will see guys like Dave Schultz protecting him the minute he is touched because Richards can also throw nasty checks. Richards, who was signed to a huge 12-year 69-million dollar deal back in December, will likely remain a Flyer until he retires, but that is only good news for Flyers’ fans and the coaches. This past season, Richards set a career high with 28 goals and 75 points despite missing nine games due to injuring his knee in a game against Florida back in February. Richards also was awarded the “A” symbol on his jersey, the first in what is inevitably a foregone conclusion…him being the next team captain soon enough.
Player grade: A+ (99%)

#48 Daniel Briere
The city of Philadelphia was buzzing when they learned that Paul Holmgren had signed Ex-Buffalo center Briere to a contract to provide the Flyers with more firepower then the team could hope for, and they had every right to be. Briere was coming off of two spectacular seasons prior to his contract running out and Buffalo decided to let him and another high profile free agent in Chris Drury go as well (Drury signed with the New York Rangers). However, his season ended up being one big rollercoaster ride: after starting off well, he went into a mid-season ditch and couldn’t score, prompting him to doubt himself and for the fickle Philly fans to boo him. But his fortunes changed at the trading deadline when the team brought back former Flyer Vinny Prospal, and the two hit it off right away, leading to Briere entering the playoffs as the hottest Flyer on the team. Briere was the only season long Flyer to net over 30 goals (he had 31) and 41 assists for 72 points but his plus/minus ratio was a horrific minus-22.
Player grade: B (85%)

#40 Vaclav “Vinny” Prospal
Originally drafted by the Flyers back in 1993 and played for them from 1996 to 1998, Prospal went on to do tours with the Senators and the Lightning before the trading deadline in February, when Holmgren brought him back to Philly for prospect defenseman Alexandre Picard and a 2nd round pick. Even though Prospal came back to Philly with 29 goals, he scored only four upon rejoining the team to the end of the season but his assists total boasted by setting up Briere right and left: for the year he finished with 71 points (33 goals and 38 assists).
Player grade: A- (90%)

#22 Mike Knuble
The 35-year old scrappy winger was never a prolific scorer, so 29 goals this season from him is something that we should all be very grateful for. Of course, his health also is something we should be happy for as well: he was one of only two players this year to play each and every season game. Knuble, a blue collar worker who had previous stints in Detroit, Los Angeles, Boston, and New York, led the team with 15 power play goals mainly due to standing right in front of the goalie and either Coburn or Timonen firing away from the point and trying to hit the puck off of him. For the year he finished with 55 points (29 goals and 26 assists).
Player grade: B (88%)

#17 Jeff Carter
A guy who knows that the chance to be a difference maker is for his ability, Carter got off to a very slow start and did everything right except for score goals, but after the trading deadline, he finally got that down pat. Rumored to be moved prior to the deadline, Carter remained in orange and black and rewarded the Flyers with 15 goals in the final month and a few days of the season to tally 29 for the year and 53 total points. Carter was also the other Flyer (along with Knuble) to play all 82 games on the season, and he led the team with 260 shots on net.
Player grade: B- (81%)

#20 RJ Umberger
A player on the verge of breaking out, Umberger finally started to show his value as a 2nd line winger and 3rd line center with a career best 50 points this past season. Umberger, the native from nearby Plum, also proved to be a lethal foe to the hometown Penguins, as six of his 13 goals came at their expense this year. And his one and only career hat trick came against the (SURPRISE!) the Penguins back on December 11th 2007 in an 8-2 rout in Philly.
Player grade: B- (80%)

#15 Joffrey Lupul
The former Anaheim Duck and Edmonton Oiler, Lupul was brought to town back in July after the four player trade between the two teams, and almost immediately proved his worth. However, Lupul would miss 26 games on the season due to three assorted injuries although the latter two (a concussion and a spinal cord contusion) were caused by his own teammate Hatcher (the first, an ankle injury, was the only one he suffered himself). Still, Lupul netted 20 goals and 46 total points mostly between the 2nd and 3rd lines and seven power play goals from the 2nd unit.
Player grade: B (83%)

#19 Scott Hartnell
A very annoying guy if you are on the other side of him but a good teammate if you are on his side, Hartnell was acquired with Timonen on July 1st when the Predators made a deal with the Flyers. Hartnell is highly compatible with all situations, having played left wing on the 1st line but is best from the 2nd line and had a very hot month in January, when he scored 14 of his 24 season goals in that month alone and ended up with 43 points total. He also added ten power play goals and finished tied for the team lead with six game winning goals and second with 159 penalty minutes.
Player grade: B (83%)

#9 Scottie Upshall
A 2007 trade deadline pickup when the Flyers traded away Peter Forsberg, Upshall closed out the 06-07 season with high hopes he would make the team this year, and he did, although he wasn’t always a starter. While Upshall finished with 14 goals and 30 points, he only played 61 games this year not because of injury, but because Coach John Stevens would get frustrated with his attitude and inconsistent play. Upshall, however, remains a very promising player who is as nasty and as agitating as Hartnell is if not more so then him (scary, I know).
Player grade: C+ (78%)

#12 Simon Gagne
The longest tenured Flyer left on the team is also the face of the franchise and was the long running captain until he ran into injuries this season, starting in training camp. His concussion slowed him down even when he did play and he was soon put back on the IR in January for the remainder of the season. When he did play, he notched 18 points (7 goals and 11 assists) in 25 games, and to think that a healthy Gagne probably would have done even more wonders for Briere this year. When Gagne is healthy, he can bring it, and he is still only 28, so having him back for the start of next year makes things that much more exciting.
Player grade: B- (81%)

#27 Steve Downie
Downie, a 1st round pick for the Flyers back in 2004, was set to make a serious push up the depth chart this year, but a 25-game suspension for leaving his skates to deck then Senator Dean McAmmond shut that down, and a minor league demotion didn’t help him either. Still, with that aside, Downie proved to have a goal scorer’s touch as he netted six goals on only 25 shots (a 24% shooting number) and 12 points total in only 32 games. It’s possible that he might have done more had he not been suspended, but we can only assume that.
Player grade: C (75%)

#34 Jim Dowd
A former cup winner with the New Jersey Devils, the 39-year old career 3rd and 4th liner was brought to training camp to workout for the Flyers and ended up earning a one year contract and went on to play in 73 games this season, posting five goals and ten points with one goal shorthanded.
Player grade: C- (70%)

#24 Sami Kapanen
The third longest running Flyer on the team (came here originally in 2003) Kapanen was once known as the fastest skater in the NHL but at age 34, he is simply known as a hard worker. Kapanen played in 74 games, recording five goals and eight points including a shorthanded goal and a game winning goal, although he was tied for second worst on the team with a -12 rating.
Players grade: C- (71%)

#25 Patrick Thoresen
Acquired in February off of waivers from Edmonton, Thoresen played most of his time on the fourth line and did not score a goal, instead carrying two from Edmonton: played in 38 games and tallied a -10 rating.
Player grade: D- (60%)

#53 Dennis Tolpeko
A long time bouncer between the AHL and the NHL, Tolpeko played in 26 games and tallied a goal and five assists.

#23 Stefan Ruzicka
Ruzicka, like Tolpeko, has been a long running member of the Phantoms and the Flyers: this year he played in 14 games posting a goal and three assists.

#32 Riley Cote
Resident tough guy and MMA and boxing trained fighter, Cote led the league in fighting majors and piled on 202 penalty minutes for the year. He only scored one goal and four points in 70 games played and, heck, he only shot the puck 17 times, but when you fight, who cares about the minor details right?
Player grade: C (75%)

#14 Ryan Potulny
A Phantoms mainstay, he played in seven games upstairs and had an assist.

#29 Jesse Boulerice
Played fives games without a point for the Flyers: most noted for his 25-game suspension for jumping up and elbowing Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Keslar in the head three games into the season.

#56 Claude Giroux
Giroux was a February call-up who played two games during the Flyers losing streak and was put on the top line with Briere and Hartnell just to spark the offense: due to him playing for the QMJHL back in Canada, he was only allowed by league rules to participate in two games before he went back north, but this former first round pick in 2006 looked to have a nose for the net during that time.

#65 Kyle Greentree
Greentree, like Giroux above, played only two games for the Flyers during the same time that Giroux was brought in, although why Greentree only played two games is not understood: he played for the Phantoms, which meant that they could use him as long as they wanted to.

Other forwards no longer here:

#55 Ben Eager
Most well known for being a talent less fire starter, he got his butt beat by 41-year old Gary Roberts back in December during the 8-2 blowout win over the Penguins: was promptly dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks for a defenseman.

Flyers Defensemen:
#44 Kimmo Timonen
I stated above that Timonen was the best all around acquisition that we made, and I stand by that: capable of facing off with and shutting down the opponent’s top line with various defensive partners, Timonen was one of two all-stars on the team and the only one from the blue line. Funny he shares the same number as another Finnish defenseman we had in Janne Ninimmaa because they have the same instincts: he played in 80 games and recorded eight goals, 36 assists, and 44 points along with three power play goals, one shorthanded, and one game winning goal while pulling a zero in the plus/minus column. And the good thing is that Timonen is still only 31 years old, so he still has quite a bit of hockey life left in him (a decade and a half, using the Chris Chelios grading scale!)
Player grade: A+ (99%)

#5 Braydon Coburn
No one quite knew what we had on our hands when Atlanta dealt us a 22-year old defenseman (their 1st round pick in 2003) for an aging but still agile Alexei Zhitnik, and a year later, look how that one worked out too (in case you are wondering, quite well for us, such as the other Holmgren led trades). Many people think that Coburn is the next Paul Coffey, but I have to disagree because I see more Eric Desjardins in him then anything: he can play his own end, he can hit you, he can move the puck, he can play the point on the power play, and he can score goals and set up the big guns in front of the net. Coburn played 78 games this year (missing only four due to a freak injury where he ruptured a vein in his butt on the goal post) tallying nine goals and 27 assists for 36 points with five power play goals, two game winning goals, and a team best plus-17 rating. As of late, the real hot pair has been Coburn and Timonen, and it is no surprise why.
Player grade: A (95%)

#6 Randy Jones
Jones, a floundering rookie a year ago, seemed to play much more confident this year and also seemed to take on a much larger role in the defense, especially with Hatcher injured and the trading in and out of other defenders. Jones played in 71 games and logged five goals and 25 assists for 31 points, a power play goal, and a plus-8 rating, good for third best on the team. He is not an offensive presence like Coburn and Timonen, but he is just as good from the defensive aspect of his job.
Player grade: B (85%)

#21 Jason Smith
As tough as nails and as rugged as a rodeo cowboy belt, Smith was acquired in July to give the Flyers a much needed veteran presence along with Timonen and mainstay Hatcher. Smith was awarded the “C” for Captain before the season began with Gagne suffering from concussion issues, and he provided strong arm defensive play, posting a goal and nine assists for ten points but he was a rather disappointing minus-4 for the year. And considering that he was brought to the team for his defensive skills, this doesn’t seem to be a fair trade-off.
Player grade: C (74%)

#26 Jaroslav Modry
Acquired prior to the trade deadline to “shore up” the defense, Modry is a veteran of the NHL and a long running Los Angeles King prior to the team giving him up for a 6th round pick. In hindsight, I was led to believe that Los Angles got the better of that trade: Modry is supposed to be 36-years old, but he played like he was about 60 sometimes. Modry had one goal and nine points between both cities and was a disappointing minus-9, again, between both teams.
Player grade: D (65%)

#2 Derrian Hatcher
At certain times this year, Hatcher drew my praise as a fan, and at certain times this year, Hatcher drew my ire as a fan. Thus I was left with a predicament: was this team really better off without the 36-year old former captain of the Dallas Stars, or could we carry him through repeated knee injuries? Hatcher played in 44 games, logging two goals and seven points with one game winning goal, which came in a 1-0 victory over the Florida Panthers in January.
Player grade: C (72%)

#28 Lasse Kukkonen
At first I must admit, I was not a very big fan of this guy, but after being brought back up after being sent back down to the Phantoms, I noticed that he played a lot better, specifically in his checking ability, and his pairing was seamless with the other defensemen. Kukkonen played in 53 games this year, tallying a goal and five points with a plus-3 rating.
Player grade: C (77%)

#8 Rory Fitzpatrick
Fitzpatrick, a former New York Islander and Vancouver Canuck, played 19 games for the Flyers this year and tallied a 2nd worst minus-12 rating. Supposedly, Fitzpatrick got injured and was put on the IR, but later on I saw his name on the Phantoms roster, so he must have needed cleared to play downstairs.

#13 Nate Guenin
Arguably the best defensive defenseman for the Phantoms, Guenin was featured in two contests for the Flyers this year, tallying a plus-2 rating.

#77 Ryan Parent
The other piece of the puzzle in the February 2007 trade of Forsberg for Upshall and him: he might wear the number of an offensive minded defenseman, but Paul Coffey or Ray Borque he is not. In 22 contests upstairs, he tallied no points with a minus-4 rating and only nine shots, but his best skills were his ability to handle his own end on defense and clearing the puck away from the onslaught of forwards. With some more time, I think he could be a good 2nd pair defenseman.

Other defensemen no longer here

#28 Jim Vander Meer
Originally a Flyer back in 2003-2004, he was traded to Philadelphia back in December for Ben Eager to go to Chicago: Vander Meer lasted no longer then the trade deadline before he was sent packing to the Calgary Flames.

#45 Alexandre Picard
A promising prospect, Picard was traded along with the team’s 2nd round pick in 2008 to Tampa Bay for Prospal.

Flyers Goaltenders:
#43 Martin Biron
The first big trade that Holmgren made back in 2007 was Biron for a 2nd round pick in the ‘07 draft, and if this wasn’t a steal for the Flyers, I am not sure that criminals can be guilty of stealing either. Biron, who was benched years ago in favor of Ryan Miller, was given a chance with the Flyers and entered the 07-08 season as the undisputed starter, and he posted a 30-20-9 record with five shutouts, a 2.59 GAA, and a 918 save percentage in 62 games played. At many times, Biron was the dominating goalie he was who took over for Dominick Hasek in Buffalo, and at some times, he looked like the guy who lost his job to Miller. But, luckily for the Flyers, we got the former version of Biron (BEE-RON, or if you ask Mike “Doc” Emrick what his name is, BEER-RON!)
Player grade: B (85%)

#30 Anterio Niittymaki
Niittymaki, a rookie for the team back in the 03-04 season, had been in a war with Robert Esche for the starting job until the team landed Biron from Buffalo, then Niittymaki became the backup and Esche became nothing. For the season, Niittymaki posted a 12-9-2 record with a shutout, a 2.91 GAA, a 907 save percentage in 28 games, and is perhaps most well known for his 52-save game in a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs back in December.
Player grade: C (75%)

Well, that concludes my season review: I will also be doing a playoff review whenever the time draws near, as I am currently keeping track on the playoff stats (through two rounds so far).

LET’S GO FLYERS (CLAP X5)

Eagles Outlook 2008: Defense

2008-05-28T16:01:00.003-04:00

Eagles Defensive Coordinator Jim Johnson must be in heaven. The Eagles managed to land the top defensive Free Agent in Asante Samuel. Then they went out and added DE Chris Clemons. On top of that they signed ST Ace LB Rocky Boiman. This in addition to an already solid defense.

Looking at the Defensive Line, the Eagles don't really have any holes. Trent Cole and Chris Clemons form a solid pass rushing duo. Victor Abriami, Darren Howard and Juqua Parker (Thomas) form a solid power rushing tandem. Add in oft injured Jerome McDougle and the Eagles have it all at DE.

The Eagles drafted Bryan Smith from little McNeese St. He is a speed rusher like Trent Cole. And like Cole he was small coming out of college. But he will add some weight during the offseason programs the Eagles run. And he will be pushing for a role on the team.

The Defensive Tackle Spot is a little easier to figure out. Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson are the starters with rookie Trevor Laws and Monte Reagor and LaJuan Ramsey adding the depth. Don't count Jeremy Clark out though. He could push Reagor or Ramsey out.

The Linebackers are the youngsters of the defense. The addition of Boiman gives this group it's veteran leader, but aside from him, they are only in the league three years or less.

Last year rookie Stuart Bradley filled in at MIKE. And what a game he had. The determination was made he should get a shot at the starters spot at MIKE. To do that, Omar Gaither would have to slide back out to WILL. Chris Gocong again handles the duties at SAM.

Boiman can play all three spots. Akeem Jordan played well after being called up late and will also get playing time at WILL and ST. Pagu Togafau will see reps at MIKE.

The Eagles have four rookie LB's that will try and earn a spot. One of them, Andy Studebaker, gets the most attention due to his recruiting. He posted a video on YouTube. That got him some attention. And being from a small school doesn't help. But the kid has plenty of heart and will power. So he will make it work.

The secondary is the strength of this team. Already solid, they lacked takeaways last year. They didn't give up to many big plays. They just didn't make too many big ones. Enter Asante Samuel. The former Patriot was the coup of Free Agency. He was immediately penciled in at LCB.

Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown formed a solid CB tandem. With Samuel in place, Brown and Sheppard will rotate playing RCB and Nickelback. Brown will more than likely be playing the slot. This allows him to blitz or cover, both of which he does well. All three will have plenty of playing time. The NFL has evolved into more of a passing game than it was years ago.

Joselio Hanson rounds out the corners. If the Eagles carry five, look for Nick Graham to be with the team again this year. He was a solid Special Teams player. But he will get pushed by two other players the Eagles signed this year, Tanard Davis and Therrian Fontenot.

Brian Dawkins had a rough season last year. His wife gave birth to premature twins. Dawkins missed most of the OTA's and Training Camp to help deal with the birth. This year he is back. And with a vengeance. People claim he has lost a step. That may be true. But he is still one of the top Safeties in the league.

Quinton Mikell and J.R.Reed both played well last year in Dawkins absence. Sean Considine was injured but returns giving the Eagles a solid four man Safety group. Add in rookie Quinton Demps and the Eagles are looking very solid. Demps will get a shot at making the team primarily as a Special Teams player. But a few jarring hits during preseason may get him on the field earlier than expected.

The Eagles went out and did things to make this defense one of the tops we've had here in a while...... on paper. There is no reason they shouldn't rank in the top 10.....no top 5. They have size up front. Speed on the ends. Good cover corners. Everything a good defense needs. Now all they have to do is execute.

Eagles 2008 Outlook: Offense

2008-05-23T16:58:00.004-04:00

Well it will soon be a new season. Free Agency has come and gone, as has the draft. Training Camp is right around the corner. And here is what I think is in store for the Eagles on Offense.

QB: Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb, AJ Feeley

McNabb is still the number one QB on this team. He bounced back from his ACL injury in 2006 to have a decent year last year. The last three games of the season he showed why defenses used to fear him. Not only could he throw, but run. I see more of the same this year from McNabb.

Kolb moves up to the number two QB spot. He is being groomed as the heir to McNabb. He has al the physical tools and the mental ones too. All he needs is time to digest the playbook and time to develop a rapport with the WR's.

Feeley moves from number two to number three. He played well in the two games he subbed for McNabb. The only problem was he was throwing more passes that the opposing team caught than his own team. If he isn't cut or traded, he stays at number three.

RB: Westbrook, Booker, Hunt, Buckhalter

I know it doesn't seem reasonable to keep four RB's but for this team it is due to what each one brings.

Westbrook is one of the top all around backs in the league. He can run, catch, block, probably even pass. He is the most important part of our offense.

Booker is the one we wanted last year before the Dolphins drafted him. He is almost a Westbrook clone. He too can do all the things Westbrook can do. Which is the reason the Eagles wanted him so bad.

Buckhalter is one power back. He can get the tough yards, yet break out for the screen. He came back from some serious knee injuries to play well the last two years.

Hunt is the mystery. He's the power back we need to get the tough yards. He can do that. What he couldn't do was pick up the blocking schemes and blitzes. Should he get a handle on that this year he will again make the team easily, and possibly push Buckhalter out the door.

WR: Curtis, Brown, Avant, Baskett, Jackson

This looks like the weak link of the team. But it far from it. It is a solid set of WR's that can get the job done.

Curtis came to the Eagles last year and posted a 1,000 yard season. He can easily duplicate that this year. It would benefit him more to play in the slot, but his speed on the outside makes him dangerous also.

Brown had an off year last year. He started off slowly but came on strong mid season. He could emerge this year as a legitimate number two WR.

Avant is the one I'd like to see more of. He starred at Michigan, known for good WR's. He was injured his rookie year and played sparingly last year. He did post some good numbers for the limited time he played. Once again, like with Baskett, the more time he spends with McNabb developing a bond, the more passes will come his way.

Baskett is the big target we need for the red zone. He's 6'4. He has solid hands. But for whatever reason, he hasn't established himself yet. That should change this year.

Jackson is the speed demon. The second round pick from Cal will be our punt returner. He has excellent hands and speed. He can make defenders miss. Jackson will get a shot at playing this year. Maybe not right away. But by midseason he will find himself on the field.

TE: Smith, Celek, Wilson

A healthy LJ Smith is the key to the red zone offense. He is McNabb's safety blanket. His injury last year couldn't have come at a worse time. He was looking for a big contract, but bring hurt didn't help him. Smith might not be one of the elite TE's in the league, but he is a solid one. Mark him down for 60 catches and a bunch of TD's .

Celek received more playing time than people thought he would. The injury to Smith and Matt Schobel gave Celek an opportunity to play. And he didn't disappoint. He was pretty solid and made some good plays. He will need to work on his blocking a little, but not too much.

Wilson learned the position from playing behind one of the greatest TE's ever in Tony Gonzalez. But he never really got an opportunity to play. He will with the Eagles. They liked what they saw in the kid. He's big and fast with soft hands. He will make an impact here.

OL: Runyan, Herremans, Jackson, Andrews, Thomas, Jean-Gilles, Justice, ??????????

The starters are set IMO for the third year in a row. The problem is who backs them up? Jean-Gilles will push for playing time at OG. Justice will benefit from another season after having a few bad games last year. But they need to move him inside or to RT. The guys we drafted could push out some vets like Stefan Rodgers, Nick Cole and Scott Young. But right now it is any body's guess as to how it will pan out.

This offense will be very explosive. There are so many things Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinwig can do with it. The Eagles have speed and power. They have guys that can punch the ball up the middle or go outside the tackles. There are few holes. Only questions. The main one being can they stay healthy? We shall see.

Booker Learning His Way, Too

2008-05-20T17:04:00.003-04:00

He may not be a rookie, but, Lorenzo Booker knows that he too has a lot to learn between now and training camp. That is why the second-year running back has maintained a steady diet of X's and O's since the end of the post-draft mini-camp.

While most rookies spent the last couple weeks back home, Booker remained in Philadelphia, spending much of his time at the NovaCare Complex.

"Come (training) camp I want to be ready," said Booker, who was acquired from Miami in a draft day deal. "You can't play if you're thinking all the time. I should be here learning the offense so that when (training) camp comes its full speed, I'm out there making plays, and then when the regular season comes I might as well have been here last year because I will know it so well.

Known for his mix of speed and elusiveness as well as his pass-catching ability, the 5-foot-10, 191-pound Booker feels that he's a perfect fit for this offense.

Coaches believe Booker, a third-round pick of the Dolphins in the 2007, can step in immediately and complement Pro Bowl running back Brian Westbrook. Like Westbrook, Booker figures to line up all over the formation and be a threat in both the run game and the pass game.

"The offense and the team is exciting itself, but being able to work with a guy like Brian is priceless. That was one of the things that excited me, just being able to see his style of play and the success that he's had in this offense," Booker said. "You can't help but be excited because that's what you do. You know that you're not coming into a situation hoping they use you right, hoping they understand what your strengths are."

Booker said catching the football is definitely a strength he brings to the Eagles. He said he loves catching it out of the backfield as much as he loves running with it. He had success at both last year in Miami, amassing 125 yards on 28 carries and 237 yards on 28 receptions.

"I'm immune to the way I get the ball, I don't care," Booker said. "I'm dying to go on a straight nine route and jump over a defensive back. That gets my blood boiling just like running threw the middle and picking up five or 10 yards and breaking a few tackles. Just give me a chance to help the team and I'll do what I have to do."

As for pass-blocking? Booker says he can do that too.

"I can pull up tape of me blocking Junior Seau and I blocked fine," he said. "Hell, I'm tough too. I don't care how big I am and I don't care how big the other guy is. Blocking is all a state of mind."

It's worth noting here that Booker bench-pressed 225 pounds 25 times at the NFL combine.

As for the mental aspect of the game, certainly the learning curve isn't as large for Booker as it is for the 10 players that make up Philadelphia's draft class. Booker has a year of experience under his belt -- albeit seven games – and that makes a huge difference. He knows he can perform at the NFL level.

"I can pull up film of me playing against the best of people. Asante (Samuel), I played against him twice last year, and Ray Lewis and guys like that, so as far as having to prove that to myself, I don't have to," said Booker. "Now it's just about proving to myself I can play as well as I know I can, and I'm in the perfect situation to do that now."

Bottom line is this: Booker may be more than the third-down specialist many immediately penciled him in to be.

"I think that the more I prove to them that I can get the job done I think the more action I'll end up seeing," he said. "I'm a fast learner."

LINK

Centennil Bulb Still Burning

2008-05-17T12:06:00.002-04:00

Hanging about 18 feet high in the engine bay of a Livermore, California firehouse, a humble, low-watt light bulb has been burning almost continuously since 1901. Take that, halogen!

The Los Angeles Times (via Boing Boing) recently ran a story on the remarkably resilient Centennial Bulb—a four-watt, curlicue carbon-filament lightbulb that, give or take a few brief interludes, has been burning for 24 hours a day, seven days a week for more than a century.

The bulb has become something of a lucky charm for Livermore firefighters, who (according to the LA Times story) won't even dust off the bulb for fear of damaging it.

Indeed, when the department moved to a new fire station in 1976, firefighters decided to cut the power cord rather than unscrew the fragile bulb from its socket. A motorcade of fire trucks then accompanied the Centennial Bulb (which, according to Wikipedia, was only off for about 10 minutes during the short journey) to its new home, where it's been burning continuously ever since.

What's the secret to the Centennial Bulb's longevity? As the LA Times story notes, there are many theories. One former firefighter thinks it's because the bulb, made by the long-defunct Shelby Electric Co., shines in a cool-burning vacuum thanks to a perfect seal. Others chalk it up to the fact that the bulb has almost never been turned off.

In any case, the Centennial Bulb has been drawing curiosity-seekers and news stories (including, of course, this one) since 1972, and the bulb even has its own Web site—which, unfortunately, appears to be down for now (probably due to a burst of traffic).

Check out the LA Times Web site for the full story, including many more details on the bulb's storied history.

So, any theories on why the Centennial Bulb has been burning for so long?

LINK

Kolb Progressing Nicely

2008-05-14T04:38:00.002-04:00

Draft picks are all the rage around this time of year. While coaches figure out how their new additions can help the team in the near or immediate future, fans are surfing the internet trying to learn more and analyzing their college statistics.

For most rookies, the attention begins to fade as they end their first season and a new class of bright-eyed draft picks walk through the door. The media flock to these fresh faces like a child to a shiny toy, leaving in their wake a trail of second-year players.

At this time, one notable observation is the lack of attention that second-year quarterback Kevin Kolb is receiving relative to last year. The Eagles' first pick in 2007, Kolb took snaps with the second-team offense during the first mini-camp and still, very little has been made of it.

"Obviously you want to progress up the ladder because I want to be a starter in this league," Kolb said. "The reason it really means a lot to me is because it seems that I get more reps. The more reps I get, the better I feel that I'm going to get. I need a lot of them as a young quarterback."

Kolb went about his rookie season with very little fanfare. He did nothing but impress the coaching staff with his work in the preseason, completing 70 of 106 passes for 617 yards (66.0 completion percentage), two touchdowns and an 87.7 passer rating.

He watched, studied and learned the nuances of the pro game, and said all the right things when questions were raised regarding Donovan McNabb's play last season and No. 5's future in Philadelphia.

McNabb has missed parts of the last three seasons but appeared in good health at the post-draft camp. That said, Kolb knows he must continue to wait in the wings for his opportunities.

Kolb says the biggest difference between last year and this year is muscle memory.

"I go back there in a drop, play-action, whatever, and it just feels comfortable. When that happens, then obviously the other things start to slow down and you can start focusing on details. And that's what makes you a better player."

Selected in the second round with the 36th overall pick, Kolb ran a spread offense in Houston. He threw for 3,809 yards and 30 touchdowns in his senior year with the Cougars, earning Conference USA offensive player of the year honors.

In his first NFL season, Kolb proved he was physically and mentally ready to play, but just needed to pick up on the nuances of the game and earn the trust of his teammates.

Right now, Kolb's career is an exercise in patience. At some point, he will get a chance to prove he is an NFL quarterback. Now running the second-team offense, he appears to be one step closer.

He may not be the center of attention as he was at this time last year, but it is worthy to note that he is progressing nicely into his sophomore year

LINK TO ARTICLE

Pat the Bat

2008-05-10T11:36:00.003-04:00

For years, Pat Burrell of the Philadelphia Phillies has been a target of the fans anger towards the Phillies. A talented player from Miami, he was MVP of the 1996 College World Series. He also won the Golden Spikes Award in 1998. Burrell was then drafted number 1 overall by the Phillies.

Burrell originally was a 1st baseman. He moved to LF later in the season and finished 4th in Rookie of the Year voting. He had a breakout year the following year with 37 HR's. Buth then he went into a 3 year slump of inconsistency.

To his credit, in recent seasons, Burrell has shown an increasing ability to draw walks; however, his patience at bat also has resulted in his striking out frequently, including leading the Major Leagues in number of called third strikes. He has worked on this issue over the offseason.

As of right now, in his contract year with the Phillies he is batting .303 with 9 HR, 30 RBI, 21 hits but a staggering 29 strikeouts. His On Base % is .440. Great numbers to begin the season. Next to Chase Utley, Burrell has been the strength of the Phillies offense this year.

Prior to 2008 spring training workouts, t-shirts were made displaying a shirtless, bicep-curling Burrell with "Man or Machine?" printed on them. The media speculated that Chase Utley, the Phillies 2nd baseman, was responsible for the shirts although no one actually claimed responsibility.

New Flyers Help Turn Team Around

2008-05-08T04:24:00.003-04:00

Winning the Eastern Conference finals would be icing on the cake for the Flyers.

Actually, it would mean another cake.

The Flyers savored a cake on Wednesday, the dessert becoming their tasty good luck tradition before the first game of each playoff series. Coach John Stevens cooked up the idea as a motivational tool in the minor leagues and now he uses it on the Flyers, who - sweet tooth or toothless - want to eat cake and have their Stanley Cup, too.

"It kind of symbolizes that all the ingredients by themselves aren't appealing, but when you mix them together and apply some fire, you come up with a better product," Stevens said.

A better product was all the Flyers wanted this year coming off a season when they were simply the worst team around.

The worst team in the NHL. The worst team in franchise history. The worst team in Philadelphia sports.

"There were times last year when it was hard to come to the ice," forward Mike Knuble said.

And this season?

"I'm having the time of my life right now," center Mike Richards said.

The Flyers' turnaround from the bottom of the league to playing in the East finals against Pittsburgh is one of the more stunning one-year transformations in NHL history. The Flyers are the first team to reach the conference finals a year after posting the worst record since the Red Wings in 1987. They vaulted from 22 wins and 56 points in 2006-07 to 42 wins and 95 points by shuffling the roster.

Danny Briere bolted Buffalo to sign an eight-year contract with the Flyers. Kimmo Timonen, Scott Hartnell, Joffrey Lupul and Jason Smith were all acquired in trades. Going back to last year's trade deadline, Martin Biron, Braydon Coburn and Scottie Upshall all came in deals that showed Philly's stop at the bottom would be a short one.

LINK TO ARTICLE

Lito, Sheldon, Asante...OH MY

2008-05-06T15:45:00.003-04:00

Three young corners. All in or near their prime. All three possess great skills. All three play on the same team. Only two can start. Yet the other will get playing time. What a situation for the Eagles to be in. But what a disaster it can be also.

First you have the high priced Asante Samuel who agreed to a mega deal dwarfing what Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard make. He wants to win. He knows how good the Eagles can be or else he would nt have come to Philadelphia. Samuel is a playmaker. He can get the INT's the Eagles were lacking last year. He will bring another dimension to the Defense.

Next you have the hard playing but under rated Sheldon Brown. He is a heavy hitter and rarely gets burned. He has good size and skills. People remember his hit on Saints Running Back Reggie Bush and just say "WOW".

Then you have Lito Sheppard. The one who's spot seems to be up in the air. He also is a playmaker when healthy. Ask the Dallas Cowboys. He has 8 career INT's against the Cowboys.

What to do, what to do, what to do.

We could do a few things. Like I mentioned in my last blog, we trade Lito. But that would be detrimental to the team right now. With today's passing game, you need three good quality corners. And right now we have that.

We could rotate all three. That would be the sensible thing. I know all three will want to play every down they can. But that isn't possible. But it would be smart to rotate them to keep them fresh, much like we do the defensive line.

We could move Sheldon Brown to Strong Safety. This frees up both Lito and Asante to play every down. It also gives us a 3rd CB on the field even though he is playing Safety. Brown, as I said earlier, is a big hitter. He can blitz from the safety position, much like he could from the outside or nickel.

We could let Lito play the nickel to keep him fresh. As mentioned previously, he's been injury prone over the past few years. Nothing serious, but nagging injuries that keep him from playing 100%. We need a 100% healthy Lito. Moving him and reducing his playing time may do the trick. It could have a positive effect on his game.

As you can see the Eagles have a problem. Is it a good one? Yes. Much like the LB situation, we have young talented players ready to make this Eagles defense great. And I can't wait to see just how great it can be.

What To Do With Lito

2008-05-02T15:37:00.003-04:00

It's been the talk of the town ever since the signing of CB Asante Samuel. What will the Eagles do with Lito Sheppard? There are various rumors flying around about possible trades. There are rumors we will keep him. When it's all said and done who knows what will happen.

Some scenarios I personally would like to see are as follows:

1) Keep him this year. When healthy, we know he is a top CB. He makes plays in the secondary. Against division rival Dallas alone he has 8 career interceptions. But the problem is over the past couple of years he can't stay healthy for 16 games. It's always some nagging injury.

I imagine a secondary of Samuel, Brown and Lito along with Safeties Brian Dawkins and Quinton Mikell and think what a great secondary that would be. Three great CB's and one of the best Safeties ever in Dawkins. These guys will make life tough for WR's and others going downfield. It could be one of the top secondaries in the league.

2) Trade him for a high draft pick next year. Easier said than done I know. He was being shopped around during the draft but the Eagles were asking a high round number two. They didn't pull the trigger on any deals on that day. But once the OTA's begins teams might realize they need a veteran corner and come calling.

3) Trade for a player....namely a WR. We need a big time WR in this offense. The offense isn't bad, but could use the boost. Adding someone like the Lion's Roy Wiliams, Cardinals Anquan Boldin or Bengals Chad Johnson would easily make this offense more dangerous.

We gained an extra number one pick from a trade with Carolina. We could package that in a deal along with Lito for any of these WR's. We could also add another player like WR Reggie Brown if needed.

With these three scenarios we make the team stronger either through keeping Lito, adding a big play WR or adding picks in next years draft. I for one would rather keep Lito than trade him, but if the price is right and the team gains a player like Boldin or Johnson I'm all for it.

Eagles Draft Breakdown

2008-04-30T04:32:00.001-04:00

Although it’s rather pointless to assign draft grades less than 48 hours after it ends, let’s face it – it’s fun.

Eagles Breakdown
Much to the fans' chagrin, the Eagles once again traded out of the first round. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Not only did they get Carolina’s first round pick in 2009, which, with Jake Delhomme still under center, should be a good one, but they also were able to pick up two players – Trevor Laws and DeSean Jackcon – who should make an impact in 2008.

Outside of Glenn Dorsey and Sedrick Ellis, no other DT could fit Jim Johnson’s scheme better than Laws. Will he start? No. But the Eagles’ front four won’t be suffering as much when they have to rotate out Mike Patterson and Broderick Bunkley.

Jackson is the most exciting addition. He won’t be the weapon Donovan McNabb craved on offense (at least this year), but just the mere fact we won’t be forced to watch Reno Mahe return punts or Correll Buckhalter take kick returns to the 21-yard line again and again makes this pick special. Obviously Andy Reid’s proclamation that they wouldn’t spend a pick based on a guy’s return ability is dubious.

Third rounder Bryan Smith goes hand-in-hand with Reid’s love for tiny defensive ends. Where he fits in with Philly’s already large crop of smallish pass rushers Trent Cole, Chris Clemons, Chris Gocong and Juqua (Thomas) Parker remains to be seen.

Cocky to a fault safety Quintin Demps is going to make his mark on special teams. He will need to keep his mouth closed and his ears open to have a chance of ever making his mark on defense.

The offensive line additions – Mike McGlynn, Mike Gibson and King Dunlap – are versatile, but only McGlynn will make this team.

It would be a wonderful story if linebacker Andy Studebaker could make the roster out of tiny, Division III Wheaton College. But Studebaker is among a stacked group of small pass rushers and will have to excel on special teams to earn a roster spot.

Overall, the Eagles found a dangerous returner, DT depth, more bullets for Johnson’s blitz gun, and some bodies for the offensive line – along with another first-round pick that could come in handy if that weapon Donovan McNabb wants shakes loose before training camp.

Grade: B

LINK TO STORY

Early Thoughts On Draft

2008-04-27T07:46:00.003-04:00

Saturday proved full of surprises in the NFL Draft. The first two rounds were held and numerous trades were done. The Eagles were part of three of them. First they traded their #19 to the Carolina Panthers for their 2nd round pick, 4th round pick and next years 1st round pick. It might have been alot for the Panthers to give up but it was a great deal for the Eagles.

Next we traded our 2nd round pick to the Lions for another 4th round and Detroits 2nd. With that pick we selected DT Trevor Laws from Notre Dame. He was a team mate of DE Victor Abriami. Next pick was WR DeSean Jackson from Cal. I love this move. It was too early to take him in the first but perfect for the second. This guy might be small but he has great hands and speed. He will help our return game right away.

We then traded a 4th rounder to Miami for RB Lorenzo Booker. He is a player in the Westbrook mold. He didn't play much last year, but should get plying time here as a 3rd down specialist. Look for different screens and draws for him.

We still have many picks available today. Another day full of surprises.

Lito is still an Eagle for now. Will he traded today? Who knows. I personally wouldn't trade him unless it was for a WR like Roy Williams, Anquan Boldin or Chad Johnson. With two 1st rounders next year, I think a deal could be done. Maybe add in Reggie Brown as bait and then draft another WR today.

Some players still available I would like the Eagles to select are:

Safeties Josh Barrett, Reggie Smith or DeJuan Morgan.

WR's Marcus Monk or Adarius Bowman

CB's Justin King, Charles Godfrey or Chevis Jackson

OL Anthony Collins or Carl Nicks

LB Dan Conner

Why Conner? He's a player. Could provide valuable depth to this team and make plays on ST.

So far I like what we have done. I hope today brings us all the players we need to make a run at the SB.

Darft Day Is Here

2008-04-26T07:38:00.003-04:00

FINALLY! After an offseason of speculation, the best day of the football offseason is here. The NFL Draft. As of right now the Eagles have 11 picks in seven rounds. Numerous questions need to be asked:

1) Will we trade Lito Sheppard? And if we do, who will it be to and for what?

2) Will we make a play for a BIG WR like Chad Johnson, Anquan Boldin or Roy Williams?

3) Who will the Eagles select with their first pick? An OL or a CB? Maybe a WR?

4) Will the Eagles move up in the first to get a player they covet?

5) How will different trades affect what the Eagles do?

6) Will losing a couple minutes this year hinder the draft process? Instead of looking for the best offer will teams just take a chance on certain players or trades?

7) Will the Eagles draft a Special Teams Returner?

8) Will any other players other than Lito get traded? The past couple years we traded 1-2 role players to move up.

All this will be answered in a few short hours. Draft begins at 3:00. Three hours later than usual. Both ESPN and NFL Network will have coverage.

Drafting Long and Short Term

2008-04-22T04:30:00.001-04:00

When time comes for the Eagles to draft on Saturday and Sunday (yeaa! It's finally here!), the goal is to take the best players. Sounds like a pretty easy-to-define stratagem. The best player. Go get him. Go get them. Bring in the best players. That's the idea. But what constitutes the best player. Is it someone who steps right into the starting lineup and provides the most bang in year one? Or is it the player who projects as the best player in two or three seasons?

This is something every team weighs. The Eagles grade players based on what they showed in college and how they project in this system right now and, of course, years down the line. If the rookies are good enough to play right away, they play. Fortunately, the Eagles have been able to stock up enough in the Andy Reid era so that they haven't needed rookies to fill glaring needs. In some cases, the rooks have come up big. Corey Simon was an immediate starter. So was Shawn Andrews, who then lost his season during the opening game due to injury. Mike Patterson played a lot and headlined a rookie class that saw a lot of action, due to many issues in that 2005 season.

This year, naturally, the call from many corners is to draft players who can step in and play from the jump. And yeah, if it happens, well, it helps. I'm not sure there is an immediate starter in the offing, but I never thought Andrews would walk right into the starting lineup back in 2004. He was just that good, and Andrews has certainly built upon that rookie promise.

The Eagles want to take players who can help now. They have a solid team, a good team, one that should contend right now, as is. Can any of these upcoming draft picks help this year? Absolutely. Bring in a return man who can make the special teams move explosive and that's a big plus. Draft somebody who can put the ball in the end zone and help the offense. Great. Add a couple of kids who can provide some energy and impact in special teams coverage and the Eagles are improved.

But find a draft pick who is going to be one of the starting 22? I don't know much about the draft, but it doesn't seem like there are a whole lot of players like that on the board.

However, the Eagles can have a wonderful draft for now and the future by selecting players who will help now and will help more in the seasons to come. Maybe, in the parlance of draft wizardry, there is no such thing as a player who adds help right now but doesn't have much upside after that. I think players generally getting better and better in each of their four or five seasons to begin their NFL careers.

In any event, the Eagles want to take players to help them right now, and also become part of the core in the years to come. Last year was an exception when the team drafted quarterback Kevin Kolb. The Eagles simply had Kolb rated so highly they couldn't pass up the opportunity to secure the quarterback position for years to come. In general, it's about now. And it's about later.

LINK TO ARTICLE

Examining Some Scenario's

2008-04-20T07:56:00.001-04:00

From PE.com:

If the possibilities for the Eagles in next weekend's NFL draft are, indeed, virtually endless, then it's time to discuss some of them. What makes sense for a football team that believes it is again ready to compete at the very top of the league's food chain? Should the Eagles be aggressive and package draft picks and try to get one or two "guys" they think are difference makers? Should the team stand relatively pat and draft from the pool of players that fall to their 11 slots? Should the Eagles deal players and draft picks this year for favorable draft selections in the future?

I've been obsessed with the draft since the major portion of free agency concluded. The Eagles have an elaborate plan that they have worked to execute since the 2007 season was over. So they went into free agency and went right for the jugular on the first weekend, signing cornerback Asante Samuel and defensive end Chris Clemons.

The remainder of free agency was spent adding niche pieces – competition on the roster at fullback (Dan Klecko), linebacker (Rocky Boiman) and tight end (Kris Wilson), keeping in mind that those players can help on special teams, too. Along the way the Eagles released veteran linebacker Takeo Spikes and made sure to lock up tight end L.J. Smith.

Now what? Here are some scenarios to consider …

STAY AT 19

If the Eagles stay at 19, what kinds of players are on the board? If the mock drafts are to be believed, the Eagles would have the choice of the fourth or fifth offensive tackle, the third or fourth defensive end, the third or fourth defensive tackle, probably the fourth cornerback, the first or second safety, maybe the second or third wide receiver and likely the third or fourth running back.

Would the Ealges be drafting, then, a "special" player? Maybe. That remains to be seen. The point is, they won't be drafting the player who is deemed "the best" player at that position in this draft.

So you have to consider the kind of player the Eagles are going to get at 19. They've gone through their board many, many times, and have assigned value to each of the players in this draft. They have starred the "first-round-worthy" players and know that, in their minds, exactly how many players on which they would use a first-round pick in this draft.

Maybe the Eagles think there are only 15 players worthy of a first-round pick in the draft and are planning to move up and draft one. Maybe the Eagles think there are 25 players worthy, and will either move back in the first round or stay put or go get a special one or even deal some of those extra draft picks for two selections in round one.

But we're talking about 19. The mock drafts have been all over the place on this one. It could be an offensive lineman. It could be a safety. It could be a defensive end. It could be a wide receiver. It could be just about anything, but I'd be willing to say with strong conviction that the Eagles won't take a quarterback or a linebacker in this first round.

Then again, Andy Reid often is as unpredictable as any coach in the NFL when it comes to the draft.

PACKAGE PICKS AND MOVE UP

Reid has never been shy about taking this approach, but to do so would cost the Eagles their first-round pick, a second-round pick and probably a fourth-rounder. Or, as many fans have suggested, the Eagles could send a player and the 19th pick to a team in the top 10-13 and draft … who, exactly?

I'm not enough of a draft aficionado to offer a suggestion on the "must-have" player. I will say that if the Eagles put together a package and go up in the first round, they expect the draft pick to step in and contribute right away in the 2008 season. Maybe not as an immediate starter, but certainly as a player who can help win as a rookie.

If the Eagles are willing to pay a steep price to go up and get one of the top 10 picks who is "falling," or to go get the player they must have, it is reasonable to think he can play as a rookie.

LOAD UP ON DAY ONE?

It isn't just the first round to think about here. While the draft's first day is limited to two round, the Eagles may be able to get up into the second round for an extra pick and then come away with three selections in the first day. With a couple of fourth-round picks – that the Eagles can trade (one is a compensatory pick and cannot be dealt) – and four sixth-round picks – two of which the Eagles can trade (two are compensatory picks) – Reid and Co. are in a position of power through the middle rounds.

What it means to you is that you can't go to sleep after the first round or even the first day. I expect Reid to look to be as aggressive as possible from the start through the finish of this draft. I expect moves to be made.

FOCUS ON OFFENSE

Could it be that the Eagles made their power moves in free agency to aid the defense and are planning to use the draft to impact the offense? Surely, the offense needs to be much better than last year, and while the team has made some moves to get better there – retaining Smith, getting Donovan McNabb another year healthier, adding Klecko and Wilson – there are legitimate questions as to whether those moves – in the case of McNabb, expectations rather than moves – are enough.

Would the Eagles, for example, make a play for a wide receiver in the draft? The mock drafts suggest that Michigan State's Devin Thomas is the cream of the crop and a possible draft pick to Buffalo at No. 11 in the first round. Behind Thomas are players like Texas' Limas Sweed, Cal's DeSean Jackson, Indiana's James Hardy, Oklahoma's Malcolm Kelly and then a whole group that will probably be off the board between the time Thomas goes and the end of the third round.

Look, if you are considering every option, you have to think about making some kind of deal for a veteran wide receiver. In theory, just about every player's name who is even remotely available has been discussed at a high level among a lot of teams, so why not think about it here?

If you were to address needs for this offense, you would have to keep wide receiver near the top of the list. The Eagles need to put the ball in the end zone more than they did last season. They have to look at every scenario and, I know, they are doing just that.

So, go ahead and dream big. This is the time to do so. The draft is a week away. The Eagles are hammering away at the final, final, final preparations. It's time to get very excited about the week ahead. The phone lines are humming and the next moves are extraordinarily important for this franchise.

The plan the Eagles laid out long ago is nearly at its final chapter. So far, the Eagles have played a strong game in the offseason. But they still have some missing pieces and they still have moves and deals that need to get done. It all happens right in front of our eyes in the next week.

LINK TO ARTICLE

Eagles Schedule

2008-04-18T16:11:00.002-04:00

Six nationally-televised games, including a Thanksgiving night showdown against the Arizona Cardinals, are on the 2008 slate. And how about this for the end of the season - three of the final four games are against the NFC East. The season finale? A showdown with the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles will be a team to watch in 2008.

Sept 7 - Eagles vs Rams (Home)
Sept 15 - Eagles vs Cowboys (Away)
Sept 21 - Eagles vs Steelers (Home)
Sept 28 - Eagles vs Bears (Away)
Oct 5 - Eagles vs Redskins (Home)
Oct 12 - Eagles vs 49ers (Away)
Oct 19 - BYE
Oct 26 - Eagles vs Falcons (Home)
Nov 2 - Eagles vs Seahawks (Away)
Nov 9 - Eagles vs Giants (Home)
Nov 16 - Eagles vs Bengals (Away)
Nov 23 - Eagles vs Ravens (Away)
Nov 27 - Eagles vs Cardinals (Home) Thanksgiving Day
Dec 7 - Eagles vs Giants (Away)
Dec 15 - Eagles vs Browns (Home)
Dec 21 - Eagles vs Redskins (Away)
Dec 28 - Eagles vs Cowboys (Home)

Moats Ready To Compete

2008-04-14T04:25:00.001-04:00

Running back Ryan Moats remembers the sequence of events quite vividly.

He had a run up the middle for five yards and thought to himself, "Okay, this is a good start."

Moats was called upon to help in pass protection and did just fine. Run routes. The same result.

But on his second carry of the game, the Eagles' preseason opener in Baltimore last August, everything changed for Moats. In the gamebook, it simply says "R. Moats right tackle to PHI 20 for -3 yards (P. Burgess)."

In reality, Moats fractured his ankle fibula when he was dragged down by Ravens rookie linebacker Prescott Burgess. He was placed on Injured Reserve and his season was over. After what he called his best training camp, Moats was forced to start from scratch.

"It's hard, man, you know. It's heartbreaking to do something like that when you're doing so well," said Moats after a recent workout at the NovaCare Complex. "I felt comfortable in the offense. I knew everything and on the field at the time I was doing really well."

The Eagles' third-round pick in 2005 got some playing time late in his rookie year and finished with 278 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns came on electrifying runs of 40 yards or more.

In 2006, it appeared as if Moats would be the perfect complement to Brian Westbrook. Moats could spell Westbrook, but the Eagles would still have a big-play threat that could score on any given play.

It didn't happen.

Moats never reached the end zone. In fact, he barely got the ball. In only eight games, Moats had 24 touches - 22 carries and a pair of kickoff returns. He doesn't know why he fell out of favor, but he admits that the pressure to change everything about his game from the way he carried the ball to his running style had an adverse effect on his play. Now, Moats is comfortable mixing what he's learned in the pros with the improvisational style that earned him WAC player of the year honors when he rushed for 1,774 yards and 18 touchdowns in his final year at Louisiana Tech.

"I think my style from college was very loose and it was all about instinct, just feeling it," said Moats. "When I got here I stopped feeling it because so much stuff was coming at me at one time, and I didn't know what to do. I was a young guy, but now I trust myself as a runner. If I make a mistake, I make a mistake. When you get here you feel like nobody makes mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. Even all the starters make mistakes. Once I realized that you can make a mistake and you'll be alright you can just keep going."

The Eagles piled on the pressure by using their third-round pick in 2007 on Penn State bulldozer Tony Hunt. However, Hunt didn't get on the field much as Correll Buckhalter was a more-than-capable backup to Westbrook.

The NFL Draft is less than two weeks away. The Eagles have a deep and talented corps of running backs, but Buckhalter and Moats are entering their contract year. Hunt has to make strides in his second season. Confident and in fantastic shape, tipping the scales at 210 pounds, Moats has realized that he can't control what decisions are made or how others perform. He can only go out there and compete. And he's ready to do just that.

"I don't know what's going to happen," said Moats. "All I can do is control what I put out. I'm just going to play football. I'm not worrying about who, or if I'm here or wherever. I'm just going to play and let my play do the talking. They drafted Tony Hunt (last year). What can I do about that? I went to training camp and I came to play. It's competition, and you can't be afraid of competition."

LINK TO ARTICLE

Has Offense Improved Enough?

2008-04-09T04:14:00.001-04:00

They've retained tight end L.J. Smith. They have added competition at fullback (Dan Klecko) and tight end (Kris Wilson). Otherwise, the Eagles have left well enough alone offensively, taking the approach that what they have is better than the players who were available in free agency.

Fine. I agree with the principle. Going out and adding wide receivers in free agency or ripping apart the offensive line or trading away quarterback Donovan McNabb just wasn't the right philosophy. The Eagles were frustrating to gauge last year, largely dinking and dunking from one 20-yard line to the other and then struggling mightily for consistency in the red zone. They didn't score enough points. They didn't put the ball in the end zone as many times as they needed. They lacked explosive plays.

And they have kept things pretty much the same for 2008.

Why? Why not tear it all apart and blow things up and start from the ground up? Clearly, the Eagles believe they underperformed last season. As they conducted post-year meetings and prepared for this free agency, there was the option to target specific players in free agency and make significant changes. They could have taken a flier on a wide receiver, for example, and used a sizable amount of their salary-cap space overhauling that position. They could have been players in the sweepstakes for one or two of the big-name offensive linemen on the market.

They could have jumped right in and made a splash in the free-agent pool on the offensive side of the ball.

The Eagles didn't do that, instead focusing on defense in the early stages of free agency. Clearly, then, the conclusion is that Andy Reid and Co. have faith that the offense, which played so much better down the stretch of 2007, will improve enough internally to make a difference in 2008.

We obviously won't know the answer to the question that you ask for many months: Was it the right thing to do?

I know there will be players added in the draft, and the trade route is always a possibility. I'm not naive to think that the Eagles are going to go into the season with this exact roster offensively. There will be some changes. But I'm also prepared to venture into the season with the group right here -- the offensive line as we know it, with the competition expected at left guard; the wide receivers named Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown starting; with Brian Westbrook as the go-to piece in the attack; with McNabb calling the signals, with Smith healthy and a big part of things at tight end.

That is the reality. Most Eagles fans still expect, I sense, even if it's in the back of their minds, something dramatic to happen to this football team from a personnel standpoint. I hear some people say, "The Eagles have to go out and get a No. 1 receiver." As if by willing it so loudly will make it happen.

Well, what happens if it doesn't happen? What happens if the Eagles begin the season with this nearly-exact group offensively? Are they good enough?

The answer, if you ask a coach in this league, comes back the same: We have to be good enough.

Now, that may not be convincing to some people. And, yeah, I believe, deep down in my heart, that the Eagles are going to be aggressive addressing the offense, as they have been in every phase of the offseason. I still think there are plenty of moves coming between now and late July or even late August. A No. 1 receiver? I'm not going to guess there and I'm not going to get my hopes up. I think the Eagles are going to consider every option to upgrade across the board.

But yeah, I think the offense has improved. I think Smith's return is huge. Tight end is a position of strength, whereas a few months ago I would have suggested it was a position to question. Smith was a pending free agent. Most speculated that he would leave in free agency. Had that happened, the Eagles would have had to turn to second-year man Brent Celek and would have had to fill a hole created by Smith's absence. I think Celek can start and play well in this league at some point, but it feels a whole lot better with Smith as the starter and with Celek as the second tight end right now. I like that 1-2 combination.

I think fullback will be a stronger position this season. Thomas Tapeh clearly did not impress the Eagles enough -- the evidence is the lack of effort the team made to sign him back once his contract expired -- and now the Eagles have a really interesting situation heading into the draft. They have a player who has been in the system for a couple of years, Jason Davis. He is ready to blossom. They have competition in Klecko, who is a physical, aggressive guy who adds a bruiser dimension to the picture. They have some versatility for both tight end and fullback in Wilson, who I see as someone who has some packages created for his many talents. He can line up in a lot of different positions and, yes, maybe there is some H-back in the immediate future for this offense.

The offense in the red zone is better with Smith on the field and with McNabb healthy from day one. Where the Eagles haven't necessarily improved is in the big-play, explosive passing-game department, and that is something to discuss. Are the Eagles good enough to get the ball down the field in big chunks of yardage?

I can't tell you yes or no on that one. If the offensive line blocks well -- and I'm of the belief that this is a group that needs to be better than it was last season -- then McNabb has time and the receivers will find openings. Then it's just pitch and catch. Certainly, defenses had too much success blitzing the Eagles last year, reaching the quarterback and shutting down the big plays and the easy scores in the passing game.

Guys and gals, this is just food for thought on this day that is one step closer to the April 26-27 NFL draft. How much have the Eagles improved the offense already? And how much more do they have to go to get where they want to be?

If the efforts to improve the defense work, the offense should be better. If the blueprint comes true, the Eagles will have more takeaways and will set up the offense in better field position and should even score here and there, unlike last year. That's an improvement.

I know I'm rambling on, but I'm taking a perspective here, pausing to consider what the Eagles have done, what they could have done, what they might do in the weeks ahead. The choices were to do what the Eagles did and continue on with the core of the offense, or to make drastic changes and maybe rip it all up and start again.

I like the approach so far. Going out adding a Bernard Berrian or a D.J. Hackett or a Bryant Johnson ... would that have helped the offense? Would those moves have been positive for McNabb and for the passing game? Time is the king here.

I think the Eagles can find help in the draft for their offense -- whether it is a young lineman to challenge for playing time right away, or a player who can be a threat in the return game, or a receiver who can come in and boost a personnel package and create a good matchup at a key point in the game. There are more ways to improve than by adding the "star" receiver that so many are fixated on adding. The Eagles are exploring every option and asking themselves the same question every day: Is what we have on the roster right now enough to win the Super Bowl?

04/08/08 Has Offense Improved...

04/08/08 Season Rewind: 'D'...

04/11/08 Offseason Basketball Game

04/23/08 Cheerleaders Finals

04/24/08 3rd Annual Tent Sale

04/25/08 3rd Annual Tent Sale

04/25/08 Offseason Basketball Game

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Football Aids Reids Family Crisis

2008-04-05T08:20:00.003-04:00

Andy Reid walked among his peers this week here at the NFL Annual Meeting offering the kind of self-effacing confidence and concrete pride that have marked his nine seasons as coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.

It was the first time Reid had been in their midst since his drug-related travails with his sons Garrett and Britt. His peers reached out to him with compassion. He accepted it. He is equipped, he said, for another Eagles draft, another Eagles training camp, another Eagles season. The fact so many here wanted him back meant much to Reid.

But there is a more crucial endorsement that keeps him pressing on in the NFL.

"One thing both Garrett and Britt have been adamant about is telling me to keep coaching," Reid said softly, squinting under the brimming sunshine. "They said, 'Dad, keep doing it. Keep doing it your way. Don’t let things slide because of us.' That gave me a nice kick."

So, he will coach. He will persevere. He will fight. He will pursue that next championship, that next ring that each NFL coach craves.

But for how long?

"When that day comes," said Reid, "when it is time, I will acknowledge it and make that change. I’m fortunate that I get a say in when it is coming. I’m fortunate I get a say in when I decide I’m leaving."

He will take it a play at a time. A game at a time. A season.

He continues to build the Eagles. And bolster his family.

He knows that many people believe he cannot and should not serve both. Not now. Not with healing ongoing. He knows that people are watching him as a father, as a man, as much as they are watching him as a coach. He senses the incessant probing eyes on him.

"We’re all as coaches teachers, whether it is our kids or players," said Reid, who turned 50 on March 19. "I keep in perspective what I am trying to do with both. You get to the point in this kind of situation where you just don’t care about the outside opinions. You get to the point where you have to do the right thing, what your heart tells you to do. It is probably one of the most pure feelings you can have. Everybody has their own problems to deal with regardless of profession. I am no different from anyone –- we all deal with it as best we can."

Reid’s private, family road has been taxing. He and his wife, Tammy, have five children. Garrett, 24, and Britt, 22, were each sentenced last Nov. 1 for up to 23 months in prison on drug and gun-related charges. The court proceedings revealed both had long-term drug-related dependencies.

"Britt has been out for seven weeks," Reid said. "He is working. He is taking classes. It is a day-by-day process. It’s going well. Garrett is still in. We don’t know when he will be released. I have made sure our focus is on each kid in an even way. Each one is different, special. I took that six weeks off last year to spend very important time with them. I was able to go through the rehab process with them. I learned some things. I learned I wasn’t an expert on it.

"We put everything in our communication out on the table. You do that in low points in your life. And when you do that, the door to the heart opens up. When you talk like that, obviously, there are things you learn you did not know. There are a few 'wows' that go on. When you open your heart like that, you get a few 'wows' from them; it’s a two-way street there. Your eyes open. You grow together."

Montgomery County judge Stephen T. O’Neil in a Norristown, Pa., courthouse scolded the Reids as parents during the sentencing. He called their home a "drug emporium" referring to several prescription drugs found in it. He labeled them "a family in crisis."

Reid felt the sting.

"I always thought the judge’s heart was in the right place," Reid said. "I’m not saying I liked what he said and that it didn't hurt that day in court. Had I wished he not said it? Yeah. But it happened. The people closest to us know that is not true. He had a lot of pressure on him. I knew that. I deal with that kind of pressure every day as a coach. It brought even more media attention to it. We’ve worked through it.

"People have stepped to the plate for us in unbelievable ways. The support I heard was from Tom Lasorda to Bill Cosby to my neighbors and beyond. I tried to write back hand-written letters to so many for their support. All of their expressions, their feelings. There were so many, I couldn’t do them all. And Jeffrey (Lurie) was the best. I don’t think I could have done it, survived it, without him."

Lurie, the Eagles owner, hired Reid in 1999. It was a clear-cut choice, Lurie said. Reid was big enough, strong enough, said Lurie, to not be swayed by the intense opinions and critics of "the big-city market and passions" of Philadelphia fans.

Lurie’s affection for his coach is deep.

"He has had a family issue that any one of us could have," Lurie said. "I tried to be the best possible support system for him without being invasive. I root for him. I cannot tell you how much respect I have for him as a family man and as a person. And I would feel that way if I met him and got to know him and he was a truck driver in Nebraska. This is a very hard-working football and family man who is dedicated. He still has a voracious desire to win and succeed in both. The way I see it, we are ready for another run."

Reid led the Eagles to four consecutive NFC Championship Games from 2001 through 2004, has won five division titles and reached Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005 that resulted in a 24-21 loss to New England. He is 96-62 overall as Eagles coach. Of the 73 first-time head coaches hired since 1990, he is one of only six coaches to remain with their original team for eight or more years. Among active coaches, his .608 winning percentage ranks only behind Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy (.637) and New England coach Bill Belichick (.627).

The Eagles have been active this offseason, their chief acquisition being free-agent cornerback Asante Samuel from New England. Quarterback Donovan McNabb seeks a healthy return from an injury-marred, 8-8 Eagles output last season.

Reid bristles and his glare is zealous when he talks about the toll of losing and his hunger for winning. He recognizes that Philadelphia is a "real" city with "real" fans who expect him to balance his family with his job and make the Eagles champions.

"Every year is a new year, a different thing in our game and you can’t rest on things you’ve done in the past," Reid said. "I fight against that. It gets you in trouble.

"I’ve tried to be myself. I’ve tried to be real about everything. I am not trying to hide."

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Head Games A Serious Deal

2008-04-01T16:02:00.002-04:00

The information on the screen in the Bedford High School auditorium was as jarring to Alex Starr as the hits he had taken on the football field months earlier.

Starr, a sophomore at Bedford High, was in the audience earlier this week listening to a presentation about sports head injuries. The featured speaker was Chris Nowinski, a former Harvard University football player and World Wrestling Entertainment performer who has suffered at least six concussions. He eventually retired from wrestling because of the lasting effects of his head injuries.

Nowinksi is the author of the book Head Games: Football's Concussion Crisis. He's also the president of the Sports Legacy Institute, which studies the effects of concussions and other sports-related brain injuries.

And on this night in Bedford, Nowinski wanted to impart a lesson to the athletes in the audience: Concussions can be a serious issue, and if they aren't properly treated with rest, they can lead to long-term problems such as headaches, memory loss and depression. In severe cases, he said, citing studies done by doctors, multiple

concussions have been linked to death.

But, he reminded the crowd repeatedly, with enough rest and medical guidance, athletes can get back on the playing fields after a head injury without fearing further risk to their health. Athletes, however, have to know the symptoms and be honest enough to report them to coaches, trainers or parents.

"Take ownership of your health," Nowinski said.

The message was an eye-opener for Starr. This past fall, he suffered three concussions while playing running back for Bedford's varsity team. As someone who has had multiple concussions, he was familiar with the term "second-impact syndrome." Yet he didn't know the extent of its dangers.

"Before this," he said, "I never knew that anybody could be killed from second-impact syndrome."

Devastating consequences

After Nowinski was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome and was forced to retire from WWE at age 24 in 2003, he began researching head injuries. He found research linking multiple concussions with serious long-term neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, memory impairment and depression.

In 2006, his book Head Games was published. In 2007, he helped found the Sports Legacy Institute along with Dr. Robert Cantu, the chief of neurosurgery service and director of sports medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Mass.

Early last year, Nowinski heard about the suicide of former Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals safety Andre Waters. Suspecting that Waters's history of concussions may have been linked to depression, Nowinski asked Waters's family for a sample of his brain tissue.

Bennet Omalu, a Pittsburgh neuropathologist, analyzed the tissue and found that it resembled that of an 85-year-old man and showed early indications of Alzheimer's. Omalu has also analyzed the brain tissue of three deceased former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive linemen who all suffered from head injuries - Mike Webster, Terry Long and Justin Strzelczyk. Webster died of a heart attack amid significant psychological problems in 2002, Strzelczyk died following a high-speed chase with the police after suffering from an apparent mental breakdown in 2004, and Long committed suicide in 2005.

Omalu found that all four of those ex-NFL players had a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). He says each of their deaths followed a similar pattern: concussions, which led to brain damage, which led to depression.

The Sports Legacy Institute also played a role in the examination of WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, who killed his wife and child before committing suicide last June. His brain also showed extensive signs of CTE.

During his presentation in Bedford this week, Nowinski talked about those deaths and the medical findings linking them to head injuries. And he also provided information that hit closer to home - to the high school athletes, parents and coaches in the audience. According to a 2007 New York Times article, since 1997, at least 50 high school-aged or younger football players have been killed or have suffered serious head injuries on the field.

Dr. John Pettinato of Concord Hospital Neurology Associates said those statistics shouldn't frighten athletes and their parents, but they should make them take notice of the dangers of concussions.

"You have to take those kind of statistics with a little bit of caution because you don't know exactly what caused the death," he said. "However, I still think there's probably a lot more head injuries in high school (kids) and younger (kids) that we are probably not paying attention to.

"I don't think it's alarmist," Pettinato continued, "but we should pay attention. We should pay attention when kids get knocked around. When they lose consciousness it's straight-forward, but when they get dazed, we're a little more lax. I don't think we should be alarmed about it, but we should be vigilant."

Changing times

When Starr suffered his first concussion last year in the season opener, he ended up in the hospital that night and eventually sat out four weeks before he was cleared for contact. He was hurt again in his first practice back and missed an additional few weeks. He finally got back into a game in the season finale, and promptly suffered another concussion.

Throughout the season, his condition was carefully monitored by the Bedford medical staff, according to Bedford Athletic Administrator Thor Nilsen.

"Trying to keep him contained was sometimes difficult," Nilsen said. "He was one of those kids, he didn't want to displease the coach, didn't want to lose his position. He wanted to (play). But the medical staff was totally on board with all of this."

Starr acknowledged that he felt peer pressure to get back because the team was struggling.

"Some of my friends' parents (said), 'Alex you gotta get back. Come on, we need you,' " he said.

Yet Starr sat until he was cleared by the trainers.

Indeed, the culture surrounding head injuries appears to be changing.

"It's too early for any great statistics on how things have changed," Nowinski said. "I know more athletes are coming forward and ... the media isn't letting anyone get away with anything anymore. In the old days a coach would say, 'don't worry, he'll be back on the field tomorrow.' "

Concord High Coach Bob Camirand, who has been on the Tide sideline for 22 seasons, the last 14 as head coach, acknowledges how much the culture of injuries has changed through the years.

"Any time a kid came out of a game 35, 40 years ago, it was a sign of weakness," he said. "Fortunately we've become more in tune with the athletes. At Concord we don't put a kid back on the field back until he's been cleared by a trainer."

Bow High trainer Cliff Chaluda, however, says that trainers are still learning when it's safe to put a player back in after a concussion.

"There's still misinformation, sometimes even as high as a doctor, about when it's okay to go back in," said Chaluda, who has been at Bow for nine years. "My standard is if they show symptoms, we're not going to return them to play that day. If they show any dizziness, any difficulty remembering, any headache, we pull them from the remainder of the game."

Afterward, the trainer will follow up with the parents to check on the athlete's condition, and then, depending on the severity of the symptoms, they would require a physician's note to return to regular participation.

Camirand said a Concord player who suffers a concussion misses at least one game, then needs medical clearance to return.

But trainers can only help so much. According to the National Athletic Trainers Association, only 42 percent of high schools in the United States have access to a certified athletic trainer. And, as Nowinski says, head injuries can be an invisible injury known only to the affected athlete.

"That's why you have to work so much with coaches and athletes to take ownership," Nowinksi said. "You are the one who has to deal with it. It's your brain, it's your pain."

Nowinski, who suffered his first two concussions while playing for Harvard in the late 1990s, said players need to speak up, to not be afraid of losing playing time, of disappointing coaches.

"Ten years ago, if you don't suck it up, you don't deserve to be on the field," he said. "Players bought into that, as well. We wouldn't tell anybody when our heads hurt. If you were an offensive linemen, other offensive linemen would point at who to block, instead of telling (you) to get off the field."

Starr, who will play lacrosse this spring and plans to play football in the fall, said he won't fall into that macho trap.

He said he wouldn't hesitate to confront a teammate if he suspects there's been a head injury.

"Definitely," he said. "Because they could die with that second impact if they want to keep playing, if they want to be the hero. Obviously I don't want my friends, my teammates to get hurt."

(Jeff Novotny can be reached at jnovotny@cmonitor.com.)

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