Eagles Vs Bengals Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.