For the past week, the violent and pre-mature death of Washington Redskins' safety Sean Taylor has been front-page news around the nation. By now we all know the story, a 24-year old NFL star and new father was gunned in his own home by suspected burglars. But a lot of the talk in THIS city has been about why we, the public, seem to consider this tragic incident any more important, or any more newsworthy than any of the 300+ murders we as Philadelphians have seen in 2007. It could be as simple as our culture just lends itself to celebrity-obsession, and this is just another case of America being more intimately involved with the people on television than those living in our neighborhoods. But I think it's more complex than that. Today, sports are our common bond. In a nation divided over so much (political allegiances, race, news anchor preference, soft-drink loyalty...), we all love sports. Especially football. Quick check: name thirty-two United States senators. Ok, now name the thirty-two starting quarterbacks in the National Football League. No brainer, right?
We hear it all the time, "it's just a game". And that's true. Sports' main function in society is to entertain the masses. Entertainment is a very fancy word for distraction. Think about it. The aforementioned 300+ murders are a grave problem in our great city. But what is our main concern? Coach Andy Reid's play-calling and personnel decisions. Sports distract us from our mundane, often times depressing, existences. Last night's Monday Night Football game was my impetus's for this article, as I've been mulling over a way to relate the Sean Taylor Story to this blog, being as it is the top story in the nation at the moment. Back to last night's Pats/Ravens game. Being the Patriots mark that I am (no, I am not a traitor, I just appreciate teams who do what it takes to be great, rather than toiling in mediocrity while touting a resume` of almosts and calling their organization the "gold standard") I have been quite caught up in New England's pursuit of perfection. Needless to say, the game engulfed all of my attention. Sure, I had to re-write a paper for a history class in seven or so hours, and yeah, I am having some personal and emotional problems right now and, maybe I have had a mouse in my room for the past week, and, again, yes, I do live in America's most dangerous city. But last night, while watching the 4-7 Baltimore Ravens come less than yards away from de-railing the unbeaten New England Patriots' ride to a perfect regular season, nothing else mattered. All that I cared about was Willis McGahee pounding the Pats' D for three-and-a-half quarters, Rex Ryan calling an unnecessary timeout, Tom Brady leading yet another fourth quarter comeback, Baltimore's disciplinary breakdown, Jabar Gaffney's feet, Kyle Boller's near Doug Flutie-esque hail mary. That is all that went through my mind Monday night. So when people say that the death of Sean Taylor is no more tragic than those of the 300+ in this city over the past twelve months, it is somewhat un-true. Sean Taylor's murder effects us in ways which are almost indescribable. The great majority of us don't know the identities of those lost here in the city, or in other cities, or even of those fighting in Iraq. But we knew Sean Taylor. He was one of the many faces who lived in our bubble-world that protects us from everything that does not take place on a football field. Knowing now that our shelter can be penetrated by the same problems that exist outside of our television sets is rattling, to say the least. And now that we see not even our Great Distraction can keep us totally away from the coldness that is reality, this tragedy forces us, in some ways, to confront the issues from which we were seeking distraction.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?!?!?
No. But damn, that was close. But how about deja vu? Tell me if this sounds familiar: The Philadelphia Eagles lost to the New England Patriots by three points. Philadelphia's quarterback threw 3 touchown passes and three interceptions, and Greg Lewis scored. Tom Brady was pressured but never rattled and the New England defense took the ball away when it really mattered. Familiar? I thought so, too. Years later, in a different city with a different quarterback the outcome is still the same: The NFL's "gold standard" franchise is defeated by the platnium-filled dynasty that is the New England Patriots. But this one was a little different, was it not? A.J. Feeley, once again filling in for the injured Donovan McNabb, put up almost identical statistics to Donovan McNabb's on that fateful day in February of 2005. But unlike Donovan, A.J. is not being accused of choking (figuratively or literally) against the heavily favored Pats, but praised for his overall play and forgiven for his several errant passes which ultimately cost the Eagles their chance at derailing New England's pursuit of perfection. But why? Maybe it's because Feeley has not started in over two seasons and actually over-achieved Sunday night, unlike McNabb, who clearly did not perform to the height of his abilities in Super Bowl XXXIX, nor has he for much of the 2007 season. But there may be more than just an understanding of the disparity between the two players' talent. Maybe we just do not like Donovan McNabb. We don't like his "whining" and his "don't blame me" attitude. And maybe we blame Donny, if only partially, for exiling Terrell Owens, easily the best receiver McNabb has ever thown to, to the hated Dallas Cowboys. And he still harps on getting booed on draft day. Personally, I would be willing to over look all of that if McNabb were to win a championship for this city, a feat that seems impossible with a 13-16 record as a strater dating back to Super Bowl 39 (not including the win against Miami last week, as prior to McNabb's injury, the Eagles were trailing). But I digress. The story right now is that the 22+ point underdog Philadelphia Eagles went toe-to-toe with one of the greatest NFL teams ever assembled and nearly pulled off the semingly impossible. But unfortunately, you don't get point for trying, and the Eagles now sit in the cellar of the NFC East, tied with the Washington Redskins at 5-6.
But this loss to New England, unlike the last one, did not crush the dreams of a city. Infact, it may have re-ignited them. With the combination of playing with heart, Andy Reid's aggressive game plan, the defense holding an offensive juggernaut to 24 points, and the "mediocre receivers" finding a way to get open (Greg Lewis- 4 Rec. 88 yds. 2 TD, Reggie Brown- 5 Rec. 45 yds. 1 TD, Kevin Curtis 5 Rec. 71 yds.) against the NFL's sixth rated pass defense, this team has a chance to get on a run similar to last season's turnaround orchestrated by Garcia & Co. But the key will be consistency, the intangible that has been missing all season. The Birds can't afford to forget to cover T.O. again, or give up another 12 sacks to the G-Men or get off to a slow start in New Orleans or overlook the Buffalo Bills. Nor can they afford to get away from running the ball. Passing 42 times was a necessity to keep up with the Pats' offense and because New England's D clearly had one goal- containing Brian Westbrook, who was held to 92 total yards on 24 touches and a rushing TD (3.83 YPT). But consistency in play calling, as well as level of play will be a necessity for this team to get on a roll and secure a wild card spot. Granted, Reid cannot call onside kicks and flea flickers and WR option-passes every week for the next five games, but he needs to stay aggressive. The Giants are heading into their annual second-half nose dive, and the rest of the conference (except for Dallas and Green Bay) is not very good, and four of the final five games are against teams ahead of the Eagles in the conference standings. This is very do-able. But only if the Birds play with the fire and heart that nearly knocked off the league's best this past Sunday night. The Eagles have now proven that, on any given week, they can play on a level with the week's best. Here's hoping they put it all together in the next five weeks.
Two closing notes. On the lighter side of the NFL, how bad is John Madden? I don't care if he is a legendary coach and the name sake of the best video game in the history of digital entertainment, he is a terrible color commentator. He's worse than Joe Buck in the booth. Absolutely dreadful.
I'd like to offer condolences to the family of Washington Redskins' safety Sean Taylor. Taylor, 24, was shot in his home Monday night and died early this morning.
But this loss to New England, unlike the last one, did not crush the dreams of a city. Infact, it may have re-ignited them. With the combination of playing with heart, Andy Reid's aggressive game plan, the defense holding an offensive juggernaut to 24 points, and the "mediocre receivers" finding a way to get open (Greg Lewis- 4 Rec. 88 yds. 2 TD, Reggie Brown- 5 Rec. 45 yds. 1 TD, Kevin Curtis 5 Rec. 71 yds.) against the NFL's sixth rated pass defense, this team has a chance to get on a run similar to last season's turnaround orchestrated by Garcia & Co. But the key will be consistency, the intangible that has been missing all season. The Birds can't afford to forget to cover T.O. again, or give up another 12 sacks to the G-Men or get off to a slow start in New Orleans or overlook the Buffalo Bills. Nor can they afford to get away from running the ball. Passing 42 times was a necessity to keep up with the Pats' offense and because New England's D clearly had one goal- containing Brian Westbrook, who was held to 92 total yards on 24 touches and a rushing TD (3.83 YPT). But consistency in play calling, as well as level of play will be a necessity for this team to get on a roll and secure a wild card spot. Granted, Reid cannot call onside kicks and flea flickers and WR option-passes every week for the next five games, but he needs to stay aggressive. The Giants are heading into their annual second-half nose dive, and the rest of the conference (except for Dallas and Green Bay) is not very good, and four of the final five games are against teams ahead of the Eagles in the conference standings. This is very do-able. But only if the Birds play with the fire and heart that nearly knocked off the league's best this past Sunday night. The Eagles have now proven that, on any given week, they can play on a level with the week's best. Here's hoping they put it all together in the next five weeks.
Two closing notes. On the lighter side of the NFL, how bad is John Madden? I don't care if he is a legendary coach and the name sake of the best video game in the history of digital entertainment, he is a terrible color commentator. He's worse than Joe Buck in the booth. Absolutely dreadful.
I'd like to offer condolences to the family of Washington Redskins' safety Sean Taylor. Taylor, 24, was shot in his home Monday night and died early this morning.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
BACK WITH A VENGEANCE
22-60. A season riddled by turmoil both in the front office, on the ice and in the locker room yielded a record of 22-48-12 for the Philadelphia Flyers, the worst in team history. But unlike other teams in town, the Flyers did not wallow in their woeful season, did not whine about injuries or make excuses for their apparent failings. Rather, the Philadelphia front office re-built, and retooled the city's most decorated franchise back into contention. The groundwork was layed in February of last season by trading for goaltender Martin Biron, and again in April, by trading Peter Forsberg for Scottie Upshall and Ryan Parent. The rebuilding process continued through the offseason, as general manager Paul Holmgren traded the underachieving and enigmatic defenseman Joni Pitkanen, along with Geoff Sanderson, for ruuged veteran defenseman Jason Smith, and potential star-in-the-making Joffrey Lupol. The also traded the draft pick they received from the Forsberg trade back to Nashville for defenseman Kimo Timonen and explosive wing-man Scott Hartnell. But the big catch was 5'10" 179-pound centerman Danny Briere. The bona fide superstar had been speculated to be a target of the Flyers since mid-season, and they landed him on July 2, 2007. Through all the trades and signings and re-signings the Flyers created a team that, for the first time, could compete in the "New NHL". The combination of athleticism, speed, skill, leadership and out-right tougness has become the talk of this sports-orientated town.
As of today, the Philadelphia Flyers are 11-6, good enough for first place in the Atlantic Division and third overall, in the Eastern Conference. But what is impressive about this team is not the turn-around of record, but the new style and attitude with which the Flyguys are playing. Marty Biron is the goaltender Philadelphia has been searching for since the retirement of the legendary Ron Hextall. Despite having faced 495 shots (second most in the NHL), Biron has been spectacular, posting a 2.23 goals against average, as well as a .935 save percentage, sixth best in the league. The one piece of the puzzle that has been missing from some very good Flyers teams, teams that could have been great, was goaltending. Now with a solid stopper between the pipes, this team has the foundation from which championships are built. (To put Biron's early-season numbers into perspective, Martin Brodeur has a GAA of 2.77, a SV% of .891 and has faced 349 shots. Biron also has 2 shutouts to Brodeur's 0).
The re-vamped defense has not been stupendous, but they have certainly improved, and the determination with which the defense is playing makes the catastrophe that was last season, but a distant memory. Lead by team captain Jason Smith, this unit is fearless, and boast three players with at least 30 blocked shots through the first 17 games. (Jason Smith-55, Lasse Kukkonen-37, Kimmo Timonen-33). And make no mistake about it, there is no action that proves toughness and willingness to sacrifice more than getting infront of a rubber biscuit traveling up too 100 miles per hour. But its just not blocking shots and hitting and protecting the goalie. These D-Men can move the puck. Braydon Coburn can flat out fly. Jason Smith is an excellent passer and has the distinct ability to control the puck, and the game, under pressure. Kimmo Timonen leads the team in ice time and is third on the team in assists. Randy Jones is also a hybrid, mixing his physical play and defensive responsibilities with a touch for creating big plays. The defense has finally achieved balance. There is no Chris Therien or Mike Rathje (let's hope he can't come back. Nothing personal, but that man cannot play). The balance that mixes the muscle and toughness that every defenseman needs with real hockey ability. Sharp passing, steady handling, quick shot release. Once this D gels, it could be the league's top unit.
The offense has also be re-worked. No more are the days of a Legion of Doom type team, depending on one line to dominate the score shhet. This unit, too, has achieved balance. There is a lot of skill in this offense. Danny Briere is a premier scorer. He creates chances on every shift. Simon Gagne is a great finisher, and hopefully the recent concussions don't cut Gagne short, as he is just reaching his prime and developing a complete game. Jeff Carter's unique wrist shot can create a goal from antwhere on the ice, and his more aggressive play this season has yielded great results- 7 goals, 4 assists, +8. Joffrey Lupol is third on the team in points and leads the team in hits, he is a prime example of this team's new approach. RJ Umberger and Mike Knuble's large frames create mismatches against some of the league's top D-men, and the need to keep them out of the front of the net opens up a lot of room for their linemates on the outside, much the way John LeClair was able to do in his prime.
But the embodyment of this team's turnaround, and really the centerpiece of their success is 22-year old assistant captain Mike Richards. Richards was a top prospect when drafted him 24th overall in the 2004 entry draft. After a respectable rookie season in 2005-06, recording 11 goals and 23 assists as a part of the checking line. But a rough sophmore campaign left many wondering if Richards would go the way of so many other highly-touted Flyers prospects and disappoint the organization. But, just like the Flyers marketing campaign, Mike Richards is BACK WITH A VENGEANCE. Through 17 games Richards leads the team in goals (10), points (20), game-winning goals (3), short-handed goals (3), shots taken (48) and face off percentage (52.5). He also contributes to every phase of the game. Along with scoring, Richards is constantly matched up against the opponent's top line and given the unenviable task of shutting down their best playmakers (the Crosbys, the Jagrs, the Lecavaliers of the league). This task carries over in to special teams, as he is the top offensive penalty killer. Not only does his play great short-handed defense, but he creates plays in these situations, as he leads the league in short handed goals with three. Then on power plays he plays the point, as his heavy shot, 20/20 ice vision and overall hockey IQ allow coach John Steven to utilize 4 offensemen on the man advantage. Combine all of these skills with a willingness to sacrifice and lay out to clear a puck or block a shot, the ability to lay a big clean hit on the opposition, the fearlessness he displays by dropping the gloves against some of the league's best fighters are the intangibles that make Richards the face of this team. In Mike Richards there is every quality that has turned this team around, and every quality that will make him the next great captain in Philadelphia Flyers history.
This team has the potential to be great. The potent mix management has created with speed and grit, skill and toughness, youthful exuberance and veteran leadership is developing into a championship hockey cocktail. The season is still young, and we've all seen the Flyers play great in the first half of seasons and nosedive just before the playoffs and get eliminated in the first round. But this team looks different. They feel different. This new energy, new heart. Not to mention, they're entertaining as hell. They're fast, they score, they hit, they fight. What else could we ask for in this city?
As of today, the Philadelphia Flyers are 11-6, good enough for first place in the Atlantic Division and third overall, in the Eastern Conference. But what is impressive about this team is not the turn-around of record, but the new style and attitude with which the Flyguys are playing. Marty Biron is the goaltender Philadelphia has been searching for since the retirement of the legendary Ron Hextall. Despite having faced 495 shots (second most in the NHL), Biron has been spectacular, posting a 2.23 goals against average, as well as a .935 save percentage, sixth best in the league. The one piece of the puzzle that has been missing from some very good Flyers teams, teams that could have been great, was goaltending. Now with a solid stopper between the pipes, this team has the foundation from which championships are built. (To put Biron's early-season numbers into perspective, Martin Brodeur has a GAA of 2.77, a SV% of .891 and has faced 349 shots. Biron also has 2 shutouts to Brodeur's 0).
The re-vamped defense has not been stupendous, but they have certainly improved, and the determination with which the defense is playing makes the catastrophe that was last season, but a distant memory. Lead by team captain Jason Smith, this unit is fearless, and boast three players with at least 30 blocked shots through the first 17 games. (Jason Smith-55, Lasse Kukkonen-37, Kimmo Timonen-33). And make no mistake about it, there is no action that proves toughness and willingness to sacrifice more than getting infront of a rubber biscuit traveling up too 100 miles per hour. But its just not blocking shots and hitting and protecting the goalie. These D-Men can move the puck. Braydon Coburn can flat out fly. Jason Smith is an excellent passer and has the distinct ability to control the puck, and the game, under pressure. Kimmo Timonen leads the team in ice time and is third on the team in assists. Randy Jones is also a hybrid, mixing his physical play and defensive responsibilities with a touch for creating big plays. The defense has finally achieved balance. There is no Chris Therien or Mike Rathje (let's hope he can't come back. Nothing personal, but that man cannot play). The balance that mixes the muscle and toughness that every defenseman needs with real hockey ability. Sharp passing, steady handling, quick shot release. Once this D gels, it could be the league's top unit.
The offense has also be re-worked. No more are the days of a Legion of Doom type team, depending on one line to dominate the score shhet. This unit, too, has achieved balance. There is a lot of skill in this offense. Danny Briere is a premier scorer. He creates chances on every shift. Simon Gagne is a great finisher, and hopefully the recent concussions don't cut Gagne short, as he is just reaching his prime and developing a complete game. Jeff Carter's unique wrist shot can create a goal from antwhere on the ice, and his more aggressive play this season has yielded great results- 7 goals, 4 assists, +8. Joffrey Lupol is third on the team in points and leads the team in hits, he is a prime example of this team's new approach. RJ Umberger and Mike Knuble's large frames create mismatches against some of the league's top D-men, and the need to keep them out of the front of the net opens up a lot of room for their linemates on the outside, much the way John LeClair was able to do in his prime.
But the embodyment of this team's turnaround, and really the centerpiece of their success is 22-year old assistant captain Mike Richards. Richards was a top prospect when drafted him 24th overall in the 2004 entry draft. After a respectable rookie season in 2005-06, recording 11 goals and 23 assists as a part of the checking line. But a rough sophmore campaign left many wondering if Richards would go the way of so many other highly-touted Flyers prospects and disappoint the organization. But, just like the Flyers marketing campaign, Mike Richards is BACK WITH A VENGEANCE. Through 17 games Richards leads the team in goals (10), points (20), game-winning goals (3), short-handed goals (3), shots taken (48) and face off percentage (52.5). He also contributes to every phase of the game. Along with scoring, Richards is constantly matched up against the opponent's top line and given the unenviable task of shutting down their best playmakers (the Crosbys, the Jagrs, the Lecavaliers of the league). This task carries over in to special teams, as he is the top offensive penalty killer. Not only does his play great short-handed defense, but he creates plays in these situations, as he leads the league in short handed goals with three. Then on power plays he plays the point, as his heavy shot, 20/20 ice vision and overall hockey IQ allow coach John Steven to utilize 4 offensemen on the man advantage. Combine all of these skills with a willingness to sacrifice and lay out to clear a puck or block a shot, the ability to lay a big clean hit on the opposition, the fearlessness he displays by dropping the gloves against some of the league's best fighters are the intangibles that make Richards the face of this team. In Mike Richards there is every quality that has turned this team around, and every quality that will make him the next great captain in Philadelphia Flyers history.
This team has the potential to be great. The potent mix management has created with speed and grit, skill and toughness, youthful exuberance and veteran leadership is developing into a championship hockey cocktail. The season is still young, and we've all seen the Flyers play great in the first half of seasons and nosedive just before the playoffs and get eliminated in the first round. But this team looks different. They feel different. This new energy, new heart. Not to mention, they're entertaining as hell. They're fast, they score, they hit, they fight. What else could we ask for in this city?
More Good Than Bad, But It's Still Going To Be Ugly
Clinton Portis ran for 137 yards. Jason Campbell completed 68% of his passes for 215 yards and 3 touchdowns. James Thrash (yes, THAT James Thrash) caught 5 balls for 85 yards and 2 TDs. Washington won the time of possession battle. The Eagles lost 2 fumbles. Kevin Curtis recorded 20 receiving yards and no TDs. Trent Cole was held sackless for the second consecutive week. But somehow, someway The Philadelphia Eagles managed to beat the Washington Redskins on Sunday, 33-25. McNabb, fighting innacuracy and shoulder soreness, managed to corale the troops and put up 20 points in the fourth quarter en route to a come-from-behind, possibly season saving victory. The key play was a Donovan McNabb screen pass over the middle to Brian Westbrook, who proceded to out run every Washington defender, with the help of Jon Runyan and Shawn Andrews, to the goal line in true season-saving-punt-return-against-the-Giants fashion. There were some other positive signs as well. Despite the aformentioned struggles, McNabb was able to connect on 20 of 28 passes for 251 yards and 4 TDs. LJ Smith finally seems to be making progress, as he was able to contribute for a larger part of the game than has been the case in previous weeks, and finished the day with 4 catches for 49 yards and his first touchdown of the season. Although the defense gave up big yards and allowed James Thrash to be productive for the first time... ever, the D came up big when it had to and forced and recovered two fourth quarter fumbles, and held Washington to field goals on two drives that each ended inside the Eagles 5-yard line. And the special teams didn't turn the ball over or give up a TD, a victory for the unit.
But Washington didn't exactly play as if they were interested in making their week 11 showdown in Dallas worth a share of the NFC East lead. The 'Skins committed 11 penalties, contributing to each of the Eagles scoring drives, as well as stalling their own. Washington tight end Chris Cooley got called for a false start on 3rd & goal from the Eagles' 2, on a play in which Philly was not able to substitute their goal-line package creating great confusion which could have easily lead to a Washington TD had Cooley not flinched. The Redskins also fumbled twice and missed an extra point in the first quarter, which lead coach Joe Gibbs to opt for a 2-point conversion mid-way through the second quarter, and the subsequent failure erased even more points off the board.
This season, one cannot harp on the negative, though. Especially in victory. Maybe McNabb did miss open receiver after open receiver. Maybe the defense did give up nearly 160 rushing yards. Maybe James Thrash (yes, again, THAT James Thrash) did make our secondary look like swiss cheese. But at this point all that matters is the final score, 33-25 good guys. Reggie Brown made 5 catches and scored his first TD of the year. Westbrook racked up 183 total yards and 3 scores. Quintin Mikell, starting his first game at strong saftey, recorded 8 tackles and forced a fumble (oh Sean Considine, we hardly knew thee...). All positive signs for a team looking toward the future. And make no mistake about it, this team is looking toward the future. Of course, nobody in the organization will admit to this, as they should not, but why then, would the Philadelphia Eagles use their first draft pick to add a quarterback, if the focus is on the here and now?
The truth is, this season is going to be a struggle. After next week's game against Miami every game will be a struggle. Yes, I know the cliche`, every game is a struggle. But I do not see how the Eagles, with their current level of play, can be anything but the underdog in the remaining games. At New England, Seattle, NY Giants, at Dallas, at New Orleans and Buffalo. The defence is wearing down more every week. McNabb, although he is obviously making great strides in recovering from last year's ACL tear, takes more hits every week, and complained of shoulder stiffness coming into the second half against Washington. Westbrook seems to be running on all cylinders right now, but we all know how his Pro Bowl-caliber seasons can turn into injured reserve-disappointments rather quickly.
More than anything, the remaining seven games will be a proving ground for every player on this roster, as I do not believe this is a secure job on this team, besides Shawn Andrews and (a healthy) Brian Westbrook. Can McNabb lead this team back to respectability, and is he worth the investment, going forward? If not, is it time to get Kevin Kolb a few snaps? Are Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis the outside receivers this team needs, and are they worth their long-term contracts? How many more seasons can Jon Runyan play through at his size and age? Is William Thomas coming back, and if he isn't, than is Winston Justice better than he played a month ago in the Meadowlands? How much have Jason Avant and Hank Baskett developed in their second season? Can Jevon Kearse justify his salary with at least one solid game? Ditto Darren Howard. Is Trent Cole an every-down end? How good are Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson? Is Omar Gaither a middle linebacker? Is Chris Gocong a linebacker, period? How many more games can Brian Dawkins give the Eagles everything he has without giving up the ability to walk? Do we have a suitable replacement at either safety position?
The remaining seven games will produce answers. If the majority of the answers to these questions are "yes" then re-building in the post-McNabb era will not be as painful as projected. If "no" then there could be several gloomy seasons followed by blown high draft picks ahead. Here's to hoping for the former.
But Washington didn't exactly play as if they were interested in making their week 11 showdown in Dallas worth a share of the NFC East lead. The 'Skins committed 11 penalties, contributing to each of the Eagles scoring drives, as well as stalling their own. Washington tight end Chris Cooley got called for a false start on 3rd & goal from the Eagles' 2, on a play in which Philly was not able to substitute their goal-line package creating great confusion which could have easily lead to a Washington TD had Cooley not flinched. The Redskins also fumbled twice and missed an extra point in the first quarter, which lead coach Joe Gibbs to opt for a 2-point conversion mid-way through the second quarter, and the subsequent failure erased even more points off the board.
This season, one cannot harp on the negative, though. Especially in victory. Maybe McNabb did miss open receiver after open receiver. Maybe the defense did give up nearly 160 rushing yards. Maybe James Thrash (yes, again, THAT James Thrash) did make our secondary look like swiss cheese. But at this point all that matters is the final score, 33-25 good guys. Reggie Brown made 5 catches and scored his first TD of the year. Westbrook racked up 183 total yards and 3 scores. Quintin Mikell, starting his first game at strong saftey, recorded 8 tackles and forced a fumble (oh Sean Considine, we hardly knew thee...). All positive signs for a team looking toward the future. And make no mistake about it, this team is looking toward the future. Of course, nobody in the organization will admit to this, as they should not, but why then, would the Philadelphia Eagles use their first draft pick to add a quarterback, if the focus is on the here and now?
The truth is, this season is going to be a struggle. After next week's game against Miami every game will be a struggle. Yes, I know the cliche`, every game is a struggle. But I do not see how the Eagles, with their current level of play, can be anything but the underdog in the remaining games. At New England, Seattle, NY Giants, at Dallas, at New Orleans and Buffalo. The defence is wearing down more every week. McNabb, although he is obviously making great strides in recovering from last year's ACL tear, takes more hits every week, and complained of shoulder stiffness coming into the second half against Washington. Westbrook seems to be running on all cylinders right now, but we all know how his Pro Bowl-caliber seasons can turn into injured reserve-disappointments rather quickly.
More than anything, the remaining seven games will be a proving ground for every player on this roster, as I do not believe this is a secure job on this team, besides Shawn Andrews and (a healthy) Brian Westbrook. Can McNabb lead this team back to respectability, and is he worth the investment, going forward? If not, is it time to get Kevin Kolb a few snaps? Are Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis the outside receivers this team needs, and are they worth their long-term contracts? How many more seasons can Jon Runyan play through at his size and age? Is William Thomas coming back, and if he isn't, than is Winston Justice better than he played a month ago in the Meadowlands? How much have Jason Avant and Hank Baskett developed in their second season? Can Jevon Kearse justify his salary with at least one solid game? Ditto Darren Howard. Is Trent Cole an every-down end? How good are Brodrick Bunkley and Mike Patterson? Is Omar Gaither a middle linebacker? Is Chris Gocong a linebacker, period? How many more games can Brian Dawkins give the Eagles everything he has without giving up the ability to walk? Do we have a suitable replacement at either safety position?
The remaining seven games will produce answers. If the majority of the answers to these questions are "yes" then re-building in the post-McNabb era will not be as painful as projected. If "no" then there could be several gloomy seasons followed by blown high draft picks ahead. Here's to hoping for the former.
Monday, November 5, 2007
"And It Just Got Worse" (Warning: the possibly incoherent ramblings of an angry fan)
"And it just got worse." As he always does, the legendary Merrill Reesesaid it better than anybody else could have. What else was there to say about Terrell Owens, public enemy number one in Philadelphia, scampered for 45 yards on a catch and run from Tony Romo early in the third quarter to increase Dallas' lead to 28-7. And it got even worse from there. The final score was 38-17, and it was not that close. The Eagles scored their second touchdown with 5:51 left in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard pass from Donovan McNabb to Hank Baskett. To put that into perspective, Brad Johnson was quarterbacking the Cowboys at this time, as Dallas head coach Wade Phillips decided the game was getting a little too scrappy to put his $67.5 million dollar investment after going completing 20 of 25 passes for 324 yards and 3 TDs. Romo did throw an interception, as Lito Sheppard jumped in front of a pass intended for Patrick Crayton, but it did not matter as Donovan McNabb turned the ball back over when he threw a ball into double coverage and it was caught by Ken Hamlin. The Cowboys went on to score a Touchdown after three straight runs up the middle by Marion Barber, who, inexplicably, is still not the Cowboys announced starting running back, despite having more carries, yards, touchdowns and yards per rush than Julius Jones, who still tops the team's depth chart.
Not much can really be said about this prime-time beat-down. The Cowboys proved they are the class of the NFC. The Eagles proved they are not contenders. Tony Romo proved to be worth every penny on his new contract, which pays him more than any other QB in the conference. Andy Reid proved he is incapable of leading this team and preparing them to play. And now the Birds stand at 3-5, with 3 losses in the division, and virtually no hope of a playoff birth. Unlike most weeks I am not going to put this game under a microscope and analyze what exactly went wrong. Honestly, the reason behind this is because the story of last night's game was simple: A pretty good team but a very bad team. Sure there were plays that may have shifted the momentum. Had McNabb not decided to force a ball into double coverage over the middle while attempting to run a two-minute drill right after Lito Sheppard intercepted Tony Romo and gave the offense a chance to tie the game before halftime, maybe this could have been a contest. Maybe if the Eagles had decided to establish the running game early then McNabb would not have fumbled after being sacked on the first play from scrimmage and spotted Dallas an easy 7-point lead within the first five minutes of play. But it all may not have mattered.
As the New England Patriots proved in the hour-or-so leading up to the Dallas/Philly matchup, talent is what matters, and the Cowboys are by far the most talented team in the NFC, and easily the more talented team on the field last night. Jason Witten took a bone-crunching hit and had his helmet torn off but managed 20-yards after contact because he is an excellent tight end, far better than anybody on the Eagles. Terrell Owens broke tackles and out ran the entire defense en route to a 45-yard touchdown reception that reminded an entire city why we loved him so much. Tony Romo escaped at least one sack on every drive and found open receiver after open receiver for big gains (in an oh-so-very young-Donovan way) on supposed "broken plays". Playmakers. Dallas has them on defense, too. Anthony Henry recorded his NFL-leading fifth interception last night. DeMarcus Ware recorded 1.5 of his 7 sacks last night. Ken Hamlin recorded his third interception of the season when he ended the Eagles' again futile attempt at a two-minute drill. Greg Ellis has 5.5 sacks. Players pitching it from every position. That has been the difference this season and it will continue to be the differnce until a change in personnel philosophy is made. Other teams draft players and sign free agents to make their team better, while Philadelphia drafts and signs low-cost players who will fit "our system". The system is clearly malfunctioning. It has become quite apparent that the Eagles aren't able to plug any player in to any position and get the production that a player with more talent was able to provide. Dhani Jones for Carlos Emmons? Reggie Brown for Terrell Owens? Winston Justice for William Thomas? Sean Considine for Michael Lewis? Matt McCoy for any other linebacker in the history of football? Even Kevin Curtis, who has been moderately productive this season, provides nothing close to the threat that was Donte` Stallworth. The list could go on.
While under-whelming under-achievements cannot be sole blamed on the coaching staff, namely head coach Andy Reid, it must be pointed out that this is Reid's team. Reid chose every single player on the roster because he felt they could fill a need for this team. Few of them have. What's worse is that it seems Reid has lost the ear of his players. Watch the games. Who is playing at the highest level they can? Westbrook? Yes. Dawkins? Obviously, although he's missed substantial time. Trent Cole? He looks like he's hustling on every snap. Jon Runyan? Sure, he's always been a gamer, but he's hurt and aging. Sheldon Brown? He's been one of the lone bight spots of this team. Who else? I hate to questin a player's heart, for I have no idea what is going on internally, but if anybody else is playing to their full potential they do not belong on an NFL roster.
No good can be taken from the loss to Dallas. Change must be made. The only positive I saw Sunday night was from the crowd, and their mass-exodus early in the third quarter. But that is not enough. The only way to convince the front office that to attack all they care about, their wallets. While an all out Eagles boycott will never happen, some measures need to be taken by the fans that will wake up Jeffrey Lurie and make him realize something needs to be done. Fire Reid. Fire Marty. Fire Joe Banner. Cut McNabb. Cut Jevon Kearse. Do something that will prove to us you care half as much as we do. That, of course, is a lie. But create the illusion. Create a winner again. You did it before. But that process will be a long road. The future at QB is a project. There are no playmakers in the receiving corps. The O-Line, specifically Thomas and Runyan, will be gone by the time Kold develops. Ditto for Westbrook. The D-Line is young, but Kearse and Darren Howard are simply warm bodies. Takeo Spikes is solid but will be gone long before this team is great again. Gaither is not a middle linebacker. Gocong is developing, but doesn't seem to have a nack for big plays. Considine is useless. The great Brian Dawkins will retire without a championship ring. This team has no prospect of getting better and now with eight games to play and virtually nothing to play for (except individual jobs), every fan who emerses themselves in this team and plans their Sunday around the game and bleeds green and hates Dallas and would die happily as long as it were one day after a Super Bowl victory must ask themselves, how much worse will this get?
Not much can really be said about this prime-time beat-down. The Cowboys proved they are the class of the NFC. The Eagles proved they are not contenders. Tony Romo proved to be worth every penny on his new contract, which pays him more than any other QB in the conference. Andy Reid proved he is incapable of leading this team and preparing them to play. And now the Birds stand at 3-5, with 3 losses in the division, and virtually no hope of a playoff birth. Unlike most weeks I am not going to put this game under a microscope and analyze what exactly went wrong. Honestly, the reason behind this is because the story of last night's game was simple: A pretty good team but a very bad team. Sure there were plays that may have shifted the momentum. Had McNabb not decided to force a ball into double coverage over the middle while attempting to run a two-minute drill right after Lito Sheppard intercepted Tony Romo and gave the offense a chance to tie the game before halftime, maybe this could have been a contest. Maybe if the Eagles had decided to establish the running game early then McNabb would not have fumbled after being sacked on the first play from scrimmage and spotted Dallas an easy 7-point lead within the first five minutes of play. But it all may not have mattered.
As the New England Patriots proved in the hour-or-so leading up to the Dallas/Philly matchup, talent is what matters, and the Cowboys are by far the most talented team in the NFC, and easily the more talented team on the field last night. Jason Witten took a bone-crunching hit and had his helmet torn off but managed 20-yards after contact because he is an excellent tight end, far better than anybody on the Eagles. Terrell Owens broke tackles and out ran the entire defense en route to a 45-yard touchdown reception that reminded an entire city why we loved him so much. Tony Romo escaped at least one sack on every drive and found open receiver after open receiver for big gains (in an oh-so-very young-Donovan way) on supposed "broken plays". Playmakers. Dallas has them on defense, too. Anthony Henry recorded his NFL-leading fifth interception last night. DeMarcus Ware recorded 1.5 of his 7 sacks last night. Ken Hamlin recorded his third interception of the season when he ended the Eagles' again futile attempt at a two-minute drill. Greg Ellis has 5.5 sacks. Players pitching it from every position. That has been the difference this season and it will continue to be the differnce until a change in personnel philosophy is made. Other teams draft players and sign free agents to make their team better, while Philadelphia drafts and signs low-cost players who will fit "our system". The system is clearly malfunctioning. It has become quite apparent that the Eagles aren't able to plug any player in to any position and get the production that a player with more talent was able to provide. Dhani Jones for Carlos Emmons? Reggie Brown for Terrell Owens? Winston Justice for William Thomas? Sean Considine for Michael Lewis? Matt McCoy for any other linebacker in the history of football? Even Kevin Curtis, who has been moderately productive this season, provides nothing close to the threat that was Donte` Stallworth. The list could go on.
While under-whelming under-achievements cannot be sole blamed on the coaching staff, namely head coach Andy Reid, it must be pointed out that this is Reid's team. Reid chose every single player on the roster because he felt they could fill a need for this team. Few of them have. What's worse is that it seems Reid has lost the ear of his players. Watch the games. Who is playing at the highest level they can? Westbrook? Yes. Dawkins? Obviously, although he's missed substantial time. Trent Cole? He looks like he's hustling on every snap. Jon Runyan? Sure, he's always been a gamer, but he's hurt and aging. Sheldon Brown? He's been one of the lone bight spots of this team. Who else? I hate to questin a player's heart, for I have no idea what is going on internally, but if anybody else is playing to their full potential they do not belong on an NFL roster.
No good can be taken from the loss to Dallas. Change must be made. The only positive I saw Sunday night was from the crowd, and their mass-exodus early in the third quarter. But that is not enough. The only way to convince the front office that to attack all they care about, their wallets. While an all out Eagles boycott will never happen, some measures need to be taken by the fans that will wake up Jeffrey Lurie and make him realize something needs to be done. Fire Reid. Fire Marty. Fire Joe Banner. Cut McNabb. Cut Jevon Kearse. Do something that will prove to us you care half as much as we do. That, of course, is a lie. But create the illusion. Create a winner again. You did it before. But that process will be a long road. The future at QB is a project. There are no playmakers in the receiving corps. The O-Line, specifically Thomas and Runyan, will be gone by the time Kold develops. Ditto for Westbrook. The D-Line is young, but Kearse and Darren Howard are simply warm bodies. Takeo Spikes is solid but will be gone long before this team is great again. Gaither is not a middle linebacker. Gocong is developing, but doesn't seem to have a nack for big plays. Considine is useless. The great Brian Dawkins will retire without a championship ring. This team has no prospect of getting better and now with eight games to play and virtually nothing to play for (except individual jobs), every fan who emerses themselves in this team and plans their Sunday around the game and bleeds green and hates Dallas and would die happily as long as it were one day after a Super Bowl victory must ask themselves, how much worse will this get?
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Dallas Sucks!
It must have started at birth. As far back as I can remember I have hated that star logo, hated that city, hated Jerry Jones and absolutely despised "America's Team". The way the team carries themselves just disgusts me, as if they are bigger than the NFL. Their fans in this area are sickening. They run and hide until the team shows signs of life and taunt Eagles fans with their Super Bowl championships and play off the past decade in which the 'Boys have failed to win a single post-season game. It is as if Dallas fans in this area are only supporters of the Cowboys because they know it simply pisses off Philadelphia fans, no other reason. They are the type of people that would rather see everyone around them suffer than enjoy the victory of a team in which they have an emotional and regional attachment.
The Eagles players admit that their greatest on the field rivalry is against the New York Giants. Watch closely the intensity and ferosity of the physicality of any given matchup between these two teams. Look at, for example, the wildcard round playoff game in Philadelphia last season. Hall of Fame sports writer and human football encyclopedia Ray Didinger said he was more-or-less amazed that the Eagles were able to put out the effort they did the following week in their divisional round loss to the New Orleans Saints. The Eagles and Giants have all the ingredients for a classic rivalry: proximity, heated matchups (i.e.: Runyan vs. Strahan), unbelievable history- Bednarik laying out Frank Gifford and sending the Birds to the 1960 NFL Championship, The Miracle in the Meadowlands I & II, McNabb's late TD pass to James Thrash on a Monday Night in the Meadowlands to give the Birds their first win over the Giants in 10 previous attempts, Philly's home opener last season in which Eli Manning lead the Giants back from a 17-point defecit at halftime to win the game in overtime. The list could go on forever. How is it then, that the Dallas Cowboys, a team from half way across the country, are the team that draws so much pure hatred from the fans? Especially when Dallas fans (fans of the Cowboys who have been to a game in Irving, Texas) recognize the Eagles as a divisional foe, but point to the Redskins as their historic rival? Unlike the rivalry with New York, the hatred of Dallas really does not stem from past games played between the teams, but the way the Cowboys (at least since the 1970s) have been represented by the media, the players, the coaches and the NFL in general. The winning tradition, the "America's Team" advertising campaign, the personalities are all so hatable. What makes Dallas even more detestable is the great disparity between themselves and the Philadelphia Eagles. While the Eagles have dominated the NFC for the past decade, they have not been able to capture the ultimate goal, a Super Bowl Championship, something the Cowboys have done five times despite having been in the league 32 years longer than the Cowboys. Yes, the Eagles were the team of the decade in the 40s, making appearances in three NFL Championships and winning two. And yes, the Eagles did hand Vince Lombardi the only playoff loss of his career in the 1960 NFL Championship, but since then there has been nothing, and Dallas has had everything. Superstar Quarterbacks, the career-rushing leader, Superbowl after Superbowl, a few Hall of Fame coaches, and half of the broadcast positions on networks that air NFL games.
I hate the Dallas Cowboys, as does the rest of Eagles-Nation. In a city where underdogs are celebrated far more than the "naturals" the Cowboys truly are the Apollo Creed to our Rocky Balboa. In the 1980 playoffs the Eagles made their first of two Super Bowl appearances, losing to the Oakland Raiders, 27-10. But, unlike the '04 season, the Super Bowl is not the game we remember. We remember Wilbert Montgomery, in the NFC Championship, running for a 42-yard touchdown in the Eagles second play from scrimmage to give Philadelphia a 7-0 lead. Beating Dallas was the Super Bowl, it was all that mattered. Think of the great moments in Eagles history. Except for Chad Lewis' second touchdown in the NFC Championship, 4th & 26 and the Eagles/Giants highlights above, I bet they are all times the Eagles beat up on the evil empire. The '80 NFC title game. The third game of the '91 season when the Birds D (arguably the best ever) sacked Troy Aikman 11 times and shut out the league's top offense. December 10, 1995: Ground Hog Day, The Eagles stuff Emmitt Smith twice after the referees determined the first attempt took place during what should have been the two-minute warning, after the second stop on the exact same play, the Eagles drove down the field and won on a last second field goal. 1996, Eagles leading by three, Dallas has a first down inside the five and all seems to be doomed until James Willis intercepts Troy Aikman's pass and returns the ball out of the end zone to the 10-yard line, laterals to Troy Vincent who ran 90 yards for the game-clinching score. Or how about last year, when Lito Sheppard intercepted Drew Bledsoe in the endzone and ran 102 yards to seal the victory in Terrell Owens' "homecoming" game? Tim Hauck ending Michael Irvin's career? Pelting Jimmy Johnson with snow balls? These are the memories we charrish most. We hate Dallas because they are everything we are not. And, except for the rings, everything we hope to never become. This Sunday night, after the Patriots go to Indianapolis for Super Bowl 41.5 the main event of the evening will be The Dallas Cowboys playing the Philadelphia Eagles. This is the game we circle every year when the schedule comes out. We want to see Dallas because we love watching them lose. This game is going to determine the rest of the season for the Birds. If they can win this division game and be the second blemish on Dallas' first place record it will re-energize this team and, at least for one more week, give us, the fans a reason to love our Eagles. Now I invite everyone (if anybody actually reads my ramblings) to share their favorite Dallas/Philly memory in the comment section.
Now let's start the weekend right: DALLAS SUCKS! DALLAS SUCKS! DALLAS SUCKS!
The Eagles players admit that their greatest on the field rivalry is against the New York Giants. Watch closely the intensity and ferosity of the physicality of any given matchup between these two teams. Look at, for example, the wildcard round playoff game in Philadelphia last season. Hall of Fame sports writer and human football encyclopedia Ray Didinger said he was more-or-less amazed that the Eagles were able to put out the effort they did the following week in their divisional round loss to the New Orleans Saints. The Eagles and Giants have all the ingredients for a classic rivalry: proximity, heated matchups (i.e.: Runyan vs. Strahan), unbelievable history- Bednarik laying out Frank Gifford and sending the Birds to the 1960 NFL Championship, The Miracle in the Meadowlands I & II, McNabb's late TD pass to James Thrash on a Monday Night in the Meadowlands to give the Birds their first win over the Giants in 10 previous attempts, Philly's home opener last season in which Eli Manning lead the Giants back from a 17-point defecit at halftime to win the game in overtime. The list could go on forever. How is it then, that the Dallas Cowboys, a team from half way across the country, are the team that draws so much pure hatred from the fans? Especially when Dallas fans (fans of the Cowboys who have been to a game in Irving, Texas) recognize the Eagles as a divisional foe, but point to the Redskins as their historic rival? Unlike the rivalry with New York, the hatred of Dallas really does not stem from past games played between the teams, but the way the Cowboys (at least since the 1970s) have been represented by the media, the players, the coaches and the NFL in general. The winning tradition, the "America's Team" advertising campaign, the personalities are all so hatable. What makes Dallas even more detestable is the great disparity between themselves and the Philadelphia Eagles. While the Eagles have dominated the NFC for the past decade, they have not been able to capture the ultimate goal, a Super Bowl Championship, something the Cowboys have done five times despite having been in the league 32 years longer than the Cowboys. Yes, the Eagles were the team of the decade in the 40s, making appearances in three NFL Championships and winning two. And yes, the Eagles did hand Vince Lombardi the only playoff loss of his career in the 1960 NFL Championship, but since then there has been nothing, and Dallas has had everything. Superstar Quarterbacks, the career-rushing leader, Superbowl after Superbowl, a few Hall of Fame coaches, and half of the broadcast positions on networks that air NFL games.
I hate the Dallas Cowboys, as does the rest of Eagles-Nation. In a city where underdogs are celebrated far more than the "naturals" the Cowboys truly are the Apollo Creed to our Rocky Balboa. In the 1980 playoffs the Eagles made their first of two Super Bowl appearances, losing to the Oakland Raiders, 27-10. But, unlike the '04 season, the Super Bowl is not the game we remember. We remember Wilbert Montgomery, in the NFC Championship, running for a 42-yard touchdown in the Eagles second play from scrimmage to give Philadelphia a 7-0 lead. Beating Dallas was the Super Bowl, it was all that mattered. Think of the great moments in Eagles history. Except for Chad Lewis' second touchdown in the NFC Championship, 4th & 26 and the Eagles/Giants highlights above, I bet they are all times the Eagles beat up on the evil empire. The '80 NFC title game. The third game of the '91 season when the Birds D (arguably the best ever) sacked Troy Aikman 11 times and shut out the league's top offense. December 10, 1995: Ground Hog Day, The Eagles stuff Emmitt Smith twice after the referees determined the first attempt took place during what should have been the two-minute warning, after the second stop on the exact same play, the Eagles drove down the field and won on a last second field goal. 1996, Eagles leading by three, Dallas has a first down inside the five and all seems to be doomed until James Willis intercepts Troy Aikman's pass and returns the ball out of the end zone to the 10-yard line, laterals to Troy Vincent who ran 90 yards for the game-clinching score. Or how about last year, when Lito Sheppard intercepted Drew Bledsoe in the endzone and ran 102 yards to seal the victory in Terrell Owens' "homecoming" game? Tim Hauck ending Michael Irvin's career? Pelting Jimmy Johnson with snow balls? These are the memories we charrish most. We hate Dallas because they are everything we are not. And, except for the rings, everything we hope to never become. This Sunday night, after the Patriots go to Indianapolis for Super Bowl 41.5 the main event of the evening will be The Dallas Cowboys playing the Philadelphia Eagles. This is the game we circle every year when the schedule comes out. We want to see Dallas because we love watching them lose. This game is going to determine the rest of the season for the Birds. If they can win this division game and be the second blemish on Dallas' first place record it will re-energize this team and, at least for one more week, give us, the fans a reason to love our Eagles. Now I invite everyone (if anybody actually reads my ramblings) to share their favorite Dallas/Philly memory in the comment section.
Now let's start the weekend right: DALLAS SUCKS! DALLAS SUCKS! DALLAS SUCKS!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Back On Track!
On Sunday the Philadelphia Eagles took it upon themselves to score not one, but TWO touchdowns on heir way to a 23-16 victory over now 2-5 Minnesota Vikings and just like that the Birds have righted the ship and are again on the road to victory. After an early de javu` moment in which the McNabb lead offense was forced to settle for a field goal after driving 72 yards in 10 plays and setting up on a first and goal from the 2-yard line. But the next two drives resulted in touchdowns in goal-to-go situations (6-yard shovel pass from McNabb to Westbrook, 1-yard dive over-the-top by Westbrook) and the offense finished the day 2-for-5 in the red zone, and all five drives yielded points, as David Akers connected on three field goals (20, 27, 25). The Vikings came into the game with the fourth ranked rushing defense, and showed why their front four have been so dominant this season, holding Brian Westbrook to a 2007-low 46 yards on 21 carries, for a very unWestbrook-like 2.2 yards per carry. But the big story of the day was the rejuvenated passing attack. For the only time all season (except for the Homecoming-esque Detroit Lions game) the throwing-and-catching part of the offense contributed to an Eagles victory. Donovan McNabb completed 23 passes on 36 attempts (64% compared to his season average of 58.5%) for 333 yards and one score. Number 5 was in sync with his receivers all afternoon, as Reggie Brown caught a season high 8 balls for 105 yards! Brown, a third-year receiver out of Georgia, came into the game with 17 catches for 214 yards, but displayed the big play ability that helped make last season's offense one of the most dangerous in the league. If McNabb has had a "go-to-guy" this season it has been the Birds' big free agent landing of Kevin Curtis. Curtis continued his steady play Sunday, pitching in with 3 receptions for 76 yards, including an incredible one handed grab in the fourth quarter in which Curtis jumped and literally stole the ball away from a Viking with one arm and managed to keep his feet inside the sideline. Greg Lewis managed not to cost the Eagles the game, and even caught two balls for 63 yards, one of which was a 50-yard strike that lead to an eventual field goal. Lewis also had a chance for a touchdown on a slant thrown somewhat behind him in the endzone. On the play it appeared as if Lewis caught darren Sharper's knee to the collar bone, and Lewis did not return to the game. He is not listed on the early injury report for Sunday Night's showdown against the NFC East leading Dallas Cowboys. Brian Westbrook also helped ourt in the passing game, not only with his 46 yards on 4 catches and a touchdown, but laid some big blocks in pass protection,, allowing McNabb the extra second he has been needing to find a receiver down field. Another good sign was McNabb's mobility. His speed is still not the threat that used to cause sleepless nights for defensive coordinators around the league, but his escapability and allusiveness are continuing to improve, as is Donovan's confidence and willingness to take off down the field when his receivers refuse to beat the coverage. McNabb ran three times for 13 BIG yards, and although those aren't the numbers that break a defense's back, it is a sign of improvement as far as rehab is concerned. Donny also set his feet well and threw the ball to the receivers in a way that allowed them to make plays despite fairly good defensive coverage. In a post-game interview McNabb stated that since the bye week he has been making reat progress in rehabilitating his torn ACL, and if the progress continues McNabb will be in Hawaii once again representing Philadelphia in his sixth Pro Bowl.
The offense finally stepping up was the headline of the day, and righfully so, but the defense again played very well. Vikings Rookie running back Adrian Peterson came into this week eight matchup leading the NFL in rushing yards with 670 yards, and an astounding 6.2 yards per carry. The Birds D held Peterson to 70 yards on 20 carries and kept him out of the endzone. Despite stacking the box to contain Peterson, the Vikings QB-tandem of Kelly Holcomb and Brooks Bollinger (who replaced Holcomb after a sack that esulted in Holcomb landing frighteningly on his head in an incident that could have been a lot worse) combined for only 182 yards passing, and went 14-for-26. After an 11 play, 79 yard drive to start the Vikings day, Minnesota was forced to punt on six of their following nine possessions, and were kept from scoring a touchdown after the opening drive. Trent Cole lead the defense with 8 tackles (7 solo), including 2 sacks. The pair of sacks pushed Cole's season total to a league-leading 9, also a career high. Juqua Thomas added his fourth sack of the season, and Jevon Kears'e only tackle of the game was his third-and-a-half sack of the year (Jevon Kearse 2007 stat-tracker: 7 starts, 11 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 0 forced fumbles, $7.33 million) Sheldon Brown continued his Pro Bowl bid, despite not recording an interception, Brown broke up several passes and recorded 7 tackles. Chris Gocong continued to show signs of understanding how to play linebacker, as he was in on 8 plays and even stopped Peterson in the backfield. Although they have only forced 8 turnovers through 7 games (5 interceptions, 3 fumbles) the defense continues to keep the Eagles in games and keep opposing offenses out of the end zone. If the D begins making big plays to go along with their season full of GOOD plays, they will be able to set this improving offense up with the field position the special teams is unable to provide. This could result in a lot more points, and, in turn, enough victories to gt back into the realistic playoff picture.
And playoffs must be the goal. Scratch that. A championship is the only bench mark for success, but to win the Super Bowl the Eagles must make the playoffs, and for the first time all year, it looks possible. At 3-4 Philadelphia sits in tenth place in the NFC. Of the nine teams ahead of the Birds, five are on the schedule, including two gmes against division/conference leading Dallas. They are beatable. If the Eagles had played with any fire on offense they would have beaten Washington in week 2. The fire (and fire power) seems to have returned. Washington is beatable. Miami is one of, if not the worst team in the league. The 'Phins will struggle to win a game this season, and it certainly will not be against the resurgant Eagles. Miami is a win. New England is not beatable and have the best chance of any team since the historic Dolphins to go undefeated. New England is a loss. Seattle is a .500 caliber team in a poor division. But on any given week Shaun Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck can find a way to win, and the matchup of Deion Branch vs. Lito Sheppard brings back horrifying memories. But Seattle is by no means great, and the Eagles will be looking to bounce back. Winnable. Despite giving up 12 sacks to the Giants the Eagles were in the game the whole way. "New York" is quite beatable. After another winnable game in Dallas, The Eagles return to their 2006 house of horrors, the New Orleans Superdome. The Saints struggled early, but have come on of late, winning their last three games, and sitting tie-breaker points ahead of Philadelphia in the NFC standings. This will be a close game, and without Deuce McAllister to break the Eagles' D as he did twice in as many games last season the Eagles have a great chance. The Saints are definetly beatable. This leaves a 1:00 showdown in Philly against Buffalo. The Bills have been playing musical chairs at QB all season and are not very good. But they showed they know how to take advantage of a team looking ahead, as they nearly pulled off a Monday Night upset over the NFC's best, the Dallas Cowboys. Unless by some miracle the Eagles have their spot locked up, or are playing for the #1 draft pick, they will have to play a good game against a bad team. Buffalo is the most beatable team left on the schedule. There you have it. A legitimate chanc to go 8-1 down the stretch and finish 12-4. It is possible. Likely? No. But most certainly possible. These Eagles have played their best ball when backed into a corner over the years, and they are in a corner right now. Here's hoping they fight (FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!) their way out.
The offense finally stepping up was the headline of the day, and righfully so, but the defense again played very well. Vikings Rookie running back Adrian Peterson came into this week eight matchup leading the NFL in rushing yards with 670 yards, and an astounding 6.2 yards per carry. The Birds D held Peterson to 70 yards on 20 carries and kept him out of the endzone. Despite stacking the box to contain Peterson, the Vikings QB-tandem of Kelly Holcomb and Brooks Bollinger (who replaced Holcomb after a sack that esulted in Holcomb landing frighteningly on his head in an incident that could have been a lot worse) combined for only 182 yards passing, and went 14-for-26. After an 11 play, 79 yard drive to start the Vikings day, Minnesota was forced to punt on six of their following nine possessions, and were kept from scoring a touchdown after the opening drive. Trent Cole lead the defense with 8 tackles (7 solo), including 2 sacks. The pair of sacks pushed Cole's season total to a league-leading 9, also a career high. Juqua Thomas added his fourth sack of the season, and Jevon Kears'e only tackle of the game was his third-and-a-half sack of the year (Jevon Kearse 2007 stat-tracker: 7 starts, 11 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 0 forced fumbles, $7.33 million) Sheldon Brown continued his Pro Bowl bid, despite not recording an interception, Brown broke up several passes and recorded 7 tackles. Chris Gocong continued to show signs of understanding how to play linebacker, as he was in on 8 plays and even stopped Peterson in the backfield. Although they have only forced 8 turnovers through 7 games (5 interceptions, 3 fumbles) the defense continues to keep the Eagles in games and keep opposing offenses out of the end zone. If the D begins making big plays to go along with their season full of GOOD plays, they will be able to set this improving offense up with the field position the special teams is unable to provide. This could result in a lot more points, and, in turn, enough victories to gt back into the realistic playoff picture.
And playoffs must be the goal. Scratch that. A championship is the only bench mark for success, but to win the Super Bowl the Eagles must make the playoffs, and for the first time all year, it looks possible. At 3-4 Philadelphia sits in tenth place in the NFC. Of the nine teams ahead of the Birds, five are on the schedule, including two gmes against division/conference leading Dallas. They are beatable. If the Eagles had played with any fire on offense they would have beaten Washington in week 2. The fire (and fire power) seems to have returned. Washington is beatable. Miami is one of, if not the worst team in the league. The 'Phins will struggle to win a game this season, and it certainly will not be against the resurgant Eagles. Miami is a win. New England is not beatable and have the best chance of any team since the historic Dolphins to go undefeated. New England is a loss. Seattle is a .500 caliber team in a poor division. But on any given week Shaun Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck can find a way to win, and the matchup of Deion Branch vs. Lito Sheppard brings back horrifying memories. But Seattle is by no means great, and the Eagles will be looking to bounce back. Winnable. Despite giving up 12 sacks to the Giants the Eagles were in the game the whole way. "New York" is quite beatable. After another winnable game in Dallas, The Eagles return to their 2006 house of horrors, the New Orleans Superdome. The Saints struggled early, but have come on of late, winning their last three games, and sitting tie-breaker points ahead of Philadelphia in the NFC standings. This will be a close game, and without Deuce McAllister to break the Eagles' D as he did twice in as many games last season the Eagles have a great chance. The Saints are definetly beatable. This leaves a 1:00 showdown in Philly against Buffalo. The Bills have been playing musical chairs at QB all season and are not very good. But they showed they know how to take advantage of a team looking ahead, as they nearly pulled off a Monday Night upset over the NFC's best, the Dallas Cowboys. Unless by some miracle the Eagles have their spot locked up, or are playing for the #1 draft pick, they will have to play a good game against a bad team. Buffalo is the most beatable team left on the schedule. There you have it. A legitimate chanc to go 8-1 down the stretch and finish 12-4. It is possible. Likely? No. But most certainly possible. These Eagles have played their best ball when backed into a corner over the years, and they are in a corner right now. Here's hoping they fight (FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!) their way out.
Monday, October 22, 2007
That Was UnBEARable
"Dammit!" The one word simultaneously muttered by every fan who watched their beloved Eagles snatch defeat from the jaws of victory on Sunday afternoon. The Bears, trailing by 4 with under two minutes to play and no time outs remaining, orchestrated an 11-play, 97-yard drive which was capped off by a 15-yard touchdown pass from Brian Griese to Muhsin Muhammad with nine seconds remaining. The Eagles defense kept the Griese-lead Chicago offense contained all day, allowing 12 points on four field goals, despite defending a short field for the entire game, as the Philadelphia coaching staff wisely chose to kick off and punt short and away from special teams phenom known as Devin Hester. The Bears rushed for a total of 72 yards, and before the final drive, Griese had only completed 18 of 30 passes for 225 yards and no touchdowns. A good day for any defense. But the Bears' final drive did take place, and the Eagles head into Minnesota to face the league's top run defense as well as the NFL's leading rusher, rookie sensation Adrian Peterson.
Despite giving up the 97-yard drive and game winning score, the defense really cannot be held responsible for the unlikely loss to Chicago. After finally scoring the game's first touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, and ending an 0-for-7 redzone TDless streak, the Birds' D forced a 3-and-out and returned the ball to the offense with 4:02 remaining in the game. Conventional wisdom (aka: common sense OR unwritten football rules, take your pick) says run the ball, kill the clock, go home winners, Eagles are 3-3. But no. Andy, Marty and whatever other jackass has a say in the offensive play-calling decided passing was the best way to beat Chicago, despite Westbrook and Buckhalter averaging 5.4 yards per carry on the season, and the knowledge that the Bears were one of the worst rush defenses in the league (see Adrian Peterson's week 6 performance). So after deciding to forego the run in time-wasting situations in the fourth quarter, the offense was forced to punt the ball back to Chicago after six plays, four of which were designed passes (incomplete, 9-yard scramble, sack, 8-yard completion on 3rd & 17). Punter Sav Rocca was given explicit instructions not to punt near Devin Hester and gave kicking for accuracy his best shot and averaged 28 yards on 4 punts, but was able to boot a 43-yarder out of bounds at Chicago's 3-yard line with 1:52 remaining. But that was not enough, as the Eagles defense, worn down from defending a very short field in the wake of keeping the ball away from Hester, surrendered only their eight touchdown of the season, but it was the deciding score in this showdown of former NFC Champions.
The list of deficiencies with this team is long and well documented. The lack of a tight end and "power back" has resulted in a low red-zone scoring rate. The lack of explosiveness in the return game has resulted in losing the field position battle every week. The lack of a mobile quarterback has resulted in lackluster production from a receivng corps that needs their QB to buy them extra time to seperate from defenders. But most troubling of all is the lack of improvement, in all phases of the game, shown week to week. The receivers, except for the occassional burst from Curtis, haven't made any more plays than they were making before the bye week. Donovan McNabb still hasn't realized he has little-to-none of his pre-injury speed and needs to release the ball and avoid negative plays. The defense, although playing well and denying opposing offenses points, isn't providing the BIG plays (sacks, interceptions, fumble recoveries) that will set up the offense with the field position it needs. The special teams have improved more than any other phase since week 1, and that assessment is based solely on the fact that the special teams haven't turned the ball over since week one. The return game has not provided much of a spark. The coaching seems to have flatlined. Play-calling, personnel decisions, preparing the team to play football, it does not seem like Andy Reid and his staff are profecient in any one of these categories. Brian Westbrook, the team's best (only) chance to score is not being given the ball inside the 20. Trent Cole, the team's best pass rusher, was not on the field for part of the Bears' final drive. Passing in the final four minutes of a game, while leading, is simply bewildering. Not only was passing a bad call, but it lost the game for the Eagles. Not carrying an experienced punt returner into the opening day of the season lost the game in Green Bay. Refusing to run the ball against the Giants and allowing Winston Justice to play matador to Osi Umenyiora's not only cost the Eagles the game, but could have cost Donovan McNabb yet another season to injury. Three games, three losses. The victory over the Jets was not exactly a gem either, but the Eagles deserved to lose less than the Jets, hence the win. Today (Tuesday 10/23/07) the back page of the Philadelphia Daily News features the headline "TIME TO GO?" underneath a close-up of Andy Reid's face. After the decisions made not only this season but since the Superbowl, should the headline really be a question?
Despite giving up the 97-yard drive and game winning score, the defense really cannot be held responsible for the unlikely loss to Chicago. After finally scoring the game's first touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, and ending an 0-for-7 redzone TDless streak, the Birds' D forced a 3-and-out and returned the ball to the offense with 4:02 remaining in the game. Conventional wisdom (aka: common sense OR unwritten football rules, take your pick) says run the ball, kill the clock, go home winners, Eagles are 3-3. But no. Andy, Marty and whatever other jackass has a say in the offensive play-calling decided passing was the best way to beat Chicago, despite Westbrook and Buckhalter averaging 5.4 yards per carry on the season, and the knowledge that the Bears were one of the worst rush defenses in the league (see Adrian Peterson's week 6 performance). So after deciding to forego the run in time-wasting situations in the fourth quarter, the offense was forced to punt the ball back to Chicago after six plays, four of which were designed passes (incomplete, 9-yard scramble, sack, 8-yard completion on 3rd & 17). Punter Sav Rocca was given explicit instructions not to punt near Devin Hester and gave kicking for accuracy his best shot and averaged 28 yards on 4 punts, but was able to boot a 43-yarder out of bounds at Chicago's 3-yard line with 1:52 remaining. But that was not enough, as the Eagles defense, worn down from defending a very short field in the wake of keeping the ball away from Hester, surrendered only their eight touchdown of the season, but it was the deciding score in this showdown of former NFC Champions.
The list of deficiencies with this team is long and well documented. The lack of a tight end and "power back" has resulted in a low red-zone scoring rate. The lack of explosiveness in the return game has resulted in losing the field position battle every week. The lack of a mobile quarterback has resulted in lackluster production from a receivng corps that needs their QB to buy them extra time to seperate from defenders. But most troubling of all is the lack of improvement, in all phases of the game, shown week to week. The receivers, except for the occassional burst from Curtis, haven't made any more plays than they were making before the bye week. Donovan McNabb still hasn't realized he has little-to-none of his pre-injury speed and needs to release the ball and avoid negative plays. The defense, although playing well and denying opposing offenses points, isn't providing the BIG plays (sacks, interceptions, fumble recoveries) that will set up the offense with the field position it needs. The special teams have improved more than any other phase since week 1, and that assessment is based solely on the fact that the special teams haven't turned the ball over since week one. The return game has not provided much of a spark. The coaching seems to have flatlined. Play-calling, personnel decisions, preparing the team to play football, it does not seem like Andy Reid and his staff are profecient in any one of these categories. Brian Westbrook, the team's best (only) chance to score is not being given the ball inside the 20. Trent Cole, the team's best pass rusher, was not on the field for part of the Bears' final drive. Passing in the final four minutes of a game, while leading, is simply bewildering. Not only was passing a bad call, but it lost the game for the Eagles. Not carrying an experienced punt returner into the opening day of the season lost the game in Green Bay. Refusing to run the ball against the Giants and allowing Winston Justice to play matador to Osi Umenyiora's not only cost the Eagles the game, but could have cost Donovan McNabb yet another season to injury. Three games, three losses. The victory over the Jets was not exactly a gem either, but the Eagles deserved to lose less than the Jets, hence the win. Today (Tuesday 10/23/07) the back page of the Philadelphia Daily News features the headline "TIME TO GO?" underneath a close-up of Andy Reid's face. After the decisions made not only this season but since the Superbowl, should the headline really be a question?
Monday, October 15, 2007
MISSING: Offensive Production
Last season the Philadelphia Eagles finished the season with the number two raked offense, averaging 381.4 total yards per game, 257.4 yards of which came through the air. The 2006 Eagles were also the sixth highest scoring team in the league, averaging almost 25 points per game. It is now 2007, and the Eagles offense has returned eleven of 2006's twelve starters. The entire offensive line was kept intact (although LT William Thomas was forced to miss week four due to injury), Quarterback Donovan McNabb has returned from the ACL tear that cost him the final six regular season games and two playoff games last season, and although McNabb clearly does not have the mobility of years past, he stll boasts one of the biggest arms in the league. Running back Brian Westbrook is back, and is on pace to top last year's career season. Fullback Thomas Tapeh has returned as well. Despite not re-signing Donte` Stallworth, Reggie Brown has returned to his receiving role (if not in production than at least in presence), and the speedy Kevin Curtis has taken Stallworth's place as the "burner" at wide-out. LJ Smith, despite being in-and-out of the line-up while recovering from a sports hernia/groin injury (does any other city's athletes besides Philly suffer sports hernias?) is also back from last season, as is back-up TE Matt Schobel. With all of this said, and with basically the same personnel from last season's explosive, quick-strike (sometimes even too quick) offense, why has Philadelphia's 2007 offense been so... terrible?
The Eagles are averaging 20 points per game, and have scored 100 points through five games. These stats are even less impressive when the 56 point out-burst from week three's domination of Detroit is taken in to account. Without the fireworks display which was week three, the Eagles have averaged 11 points per game this season. There is only one word that describes the efforts of Philly's offense through five games: abysmal. Even in victory yesterday, against a bad New York Jets defense, the offense only put up 16 points (1 TD, 3 FG) and went 0-for-4 in the red zone. So the question remains: what has happened to this offense?
As does all criticism of this Eagles' team, the offensive troubles start with the quarterback. Donovan McNabb is not 100% healthy, and he will not be 100% for the rest of this season. In the past McNabb has been able to make up for his below-average receivers by scrambling to buy them time to get opened and running for big gains, forcing the defensive coordinators to designate a man to cover McNabb. This talent is gone, at least for this season, as McNabb recovers from a torn ACL, and almost a decade's worth of punishment after dropping back more than any other QB in the league for the majority of his career. McNabb is now a one-dimensional quarterback, and his lack of consistency and precision are far more evident, as receivers are not wide-open in a three-step-drop passing scheme. But not all can be blamed on McNabb. Reggie Brown came into the meadowlands with season statistics that would total one very good game. Despite contributing 6 catches for 89 yards on Sunday, Brown has a five game stat line that reads 14 catches for 170 yards and no touchdowns. These numbers average out to under 3 receptions for 34 yards per game. Brown has struggled against press coverage, and Donovan McNabb has always been very concerned about not throwing interceptions. With a receiver not getting great seperation and a quarterback not high on taking risks, the results will not be productive. Brown's counter-part, Kevin Curtis, contributed with a solid game against the Jets (5 Catches, 121 yards, 1 TD) but has been inconsistent in beating physical corners as well. Despite a season line of 24 receptions for 444 yards and 4 touchdowns, half of his totals came in the week three route of Detroit, in which Curtis caught 11 balls for 221 yards and 3 touchdowns. Again, Curtis has struggled in press coverage, which is something he has never been asked to beat, spending his prior years as St. Louis' slot receiver flanked by two Pro Bowlers in Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt. Missing LJ Smith's unique skill set has also hampered the passing game, as his combination of speed and size enabled him to make plays down the field against line-backers and safeties. Through Sunday, Eagles tight ends have combined for 123 yards on 15 catces. McNabb in past seasons has leaned on his tight ends to produce what his receivers could not. Chad Lewis was the man for years, and LJ Smith has stepped in recently, and without the presence of a big body in the middle, red zone production has suffered immensely, as well.
The red zone has been an uncharacteristically unproductive area for the Eagles' offense this season, and a lot of the red zone problems lie in LJ Smith's hands. The two speedy receivers on the outside are not big enough to beat double coverage in the shortened field. There is not enough space for them to run double moves and beat defensive backs with their speed. Even Brian Westbrook, the only player resembling a consistent offensive weapon on this team is not a huge receiving threat in the red zone. The field is too short inside the 20-yard line for swing passes, and the field is too bunched for screen passes to be effective. It becomes easier for defenders to cut down Westbrook's angles en route to the pylon, reducing the chance for Westbrook to score on any play other than a hand-off. This is where LJ Smith comes in. in the red zone Smith garners attention from a line backer to deal with the his size. One less linebacker opens up the middle for Westbrook to work his magic on screens, swings and crossing patterns. But Smith is also quite fast, especially for a tight end, which means either a safety or nickel back has to cover Smith over the top to account for his ability to make quick cuts and get inside a linebacker. This opens up either Brown or Curtis to be able to work one-on-one with a DB. The offensive decision-makers attempted to remedy the absence of Smith by using Avant's big frame in the red zone yesterday, but a combination of a good defensive play on a ball that was thrown too late prevented a touchdown. But Avant, and Hank Baskett, may be the answer to the immediate problem of red zone effeciancy.
Yet another problem hampering this offense has been the pass protection. Despite cutting down their sacks by 75% from the previous game, the line still gave up 3 sacks to a Jets defense that had only recorded 3 sacks the entire season. Some of the protection problems are personnel, as except for William 'Tra" Thomas, this is an offensive line made of maulers who beat a defense down by run blcking, not retreating into a pass block. But a lot of it has to do with McNabb. No longer mobile, McNabb must realize he only has a certain amount of time to release the ball, meaning he must find an opened receiver, throw to a spot and hope his receiver gets there, or throw the football away. Donovan has never had to throw the ball away of force a ball in to a tight spot, he's been able to wait. Waiting and buying time is no longer an option.
But how can this offense expect to become part of a playoff contending team, or at the very least, match the level of which the defense is playing. The answer, despite what Andy Reid and the rest of the coaching staff may say, is quite simple. Running. Running the ball will allow the entire offense to open up the way it did in 2006 and even 2004 (the T.O. days). The only argument against becomming a run-first offense, other than a pass-happy stubborn head coach, is that the team's feature back cannot handle more of a work load than he's already been given. Although Westbrook may argue otherwise, all indications lead to Westbrook not being able to handle 30-35 carries per game. But #36 does not need to touch the ball that much, in fact, I would not advocate giving Westbrook more than 20-23 carries, to go along with his 5-6 catches, per game. The change needs to come into when the ball is handed off, and to whom. First, running on third down is a must. It will keep the defense honest and result in more first downs. Westbrook is averaing 5.8 yards per carry. Give him the ball on third and five-or-less and it will result in a first down. And now that teams believe the Eagles will run in any situation, safeties will be brought up in to the box more often, leaving the receivers more room to make plays down the field. Also, play action will become a weapon, as it will actually work in the manner it was intended, and freeze the front seven as the decipher between run or pass and buy McNabb more time to go through his reads. Also, Correll Buckhalter needs to get more involved. Buck is averaging 5.4 yards per carry, and ran for 103 yards on 17 carries in Westbrook's absence in the week 4 mess that was the Giants game. Putting both Westbrook and Buckhalter on the field together will result in major match up problems for a defense, especially considering the possibility of splitting Westbrook out wide. Even Tony Hunt can get involved, as his 233 pound frame can contribute in short yardage and red zone situations. This team could easily become an even better running team than the '03 Birds, whose "three-headed monster" of Westbrook, Buckhalter and Duce Staley carried the team to an NFC Championship appearance.
The Philadelphia Eagles offensive woes will not resolve themselves over night, and will, in all likeliood, continue against the Chicago Bears' stout defense in the upcoming week. But becomming a team that is willing to run in any situation is the only way to start the turnaround. Andy Reid must realize that running will not only bolster Westbrook and the RB's statistics, but the entire offenses'. The receivers will have more time to get open and McNabb will have more time to find a receiver down the field for a big gain. The defense has kept the Eagles in all five games this season. The D gave up no touchdowns to Green Bay, 1 TD to Washington, 3 TDs to the Lions, 1 TD to the Giants, and 0 TDs to the Jets. The offense, lead by Reid and his staff, must step up and realize the only way to capitalize on the strong play of the D is to run the ball to open up the rest of the offense and, ultimately, score more points. This comeback is a long-shot. The Cowboys are good. The Packers are off to a hot start. There are a handful of teams in the middle that will fight to win every week. The Eagles can break away from that pack by makng some minor adjustments. If it as obvious to Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg as it is to the fans (myself included) as to what must be done to fix this team than it should be a fun year. But if the coaches stay the course then this team will fail. Reid said he was stating the obvious by saying the offense had to score more touchdowns. Let's hope the "how" is as obvious as the "what",
The Eagles are averaging 20 points per game, and have scored 100 points through five games. These stats are even less impressive when the 56 point out-burst from week three's domination of Detroit is taken in to account. Without the fireworks display which was week three, the Eagles have averaged 11 points per game this season. There is only one word that describes the efforts of Philly's offense through five games: abysmal. Even in victory yesterday, against a bad New York Jets defense, the offense only put up 16 points (1 TD, 3 FG) and went 0-for-4 in the red zone. So the question remains: what has happened to this offense?
As does all criticism of this Eagles' team, the offensive troubles start with the quarterback. Donovan McNabb is not 100% healthy, and he will not be 100% for the rest of this season. In the past McNabb has been able to make up for his below-average receivers by scrambling to buy them time to get opened and running for big gains, forcing the defensive coordinators to designate a man to cover McNabb. This talent is gone, at least for this season, as McNabb recovers from a torn ACL, and almost a decade's worth of punishment after dropping back more than any other QB in the league for the majority of his career. McNabb is now a one-dimensional quarterback, and his lack of consistency and precision are far more evident, as receivers are not wide-open in a three-step-drop passing scheme. But not all can be blamed on McNabb. Reggie Brown came into the meadowlands with season statistics that would total one very good game. Despite contributing 6 catches for 89 yards on Sunday, Brown has a five game stat line that reads 14 catches for 170 yards and no touchdowns. These numbers average out to under 3 receptions for 34 yards per game. Brown has struggled against press coverage, and Donovan McNabb has always been very concerned about not throwing interceptions. With a receiver not getting great seperation and a quarterback not high on taking risks, the results will not be productive. Brown's counter-part, Kevin Curtis, contributed with a solid game against the Jets (5 Catches, 121 yards, 1 TD) but has been inconsistent in beating physical corners as well. Despite a season line of 24 receptions for 444 yards and 4 touchdowns, half of his totals came in the week three route of Detroit, in which Curtis caught 11 balls for 221 yards and 3 touchdowns. Again, Curtis has struggled in press coverage, which is something he has never been asked to beat, spending his prior years as St. Louis' slot receiver flanked by two Pro Bowlers in Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt. Missing LJ Smith's unique skill set has also hampered the passing game, as his combination of speed and size enabled him to make plays down the field against line-backers and safeties. Through Sunday, Eagles tight ends have combined for 123 yards on 15 catces. McNabb in past seasons has leaned on his tight ends to produce what his receivers could not. Chad Lewis was the man for years, and LJ Smith has stepped in recently, and without the presence of a big body in the middle, red zone production has suffered immensely, as well.
The red zone has been an uncharacteristically unproductive area for the Eagles' offense this season, and a lot of the red zone problems lie in LJ Smith's hands. The two speedy receivers on the outside are not big enough to beat double coverage in the shortened field. There is not enough space for them to run double moves and beat defensive backs with their speed. Even Brian Westbrook, the only player resembling a consistent offensive weapon on this team is not a huge receiving threat in the red zone. The field is too short inside the 20-yard line for swing passes, and the field is too bunched for screen passes to be effective. It becomes easier for defenders to cut down Westbrook's angles en route to the pylon, reducing the chance for Westbrook to score on any play other than a hand-off. This is where LJ Smith comes in. in the red zone Smith garners attention from a line backer to deal with the his size. One less linebacker opens up the middle for Westbrook to work his magic on screens, swings and crossing patterns. But Smith is also quite fast, especially for a tight end, which means either a safety or nickel back has to cover Smith over the top to account for his ability to make quick cuts and get inside a linebacker. This opens up either Brown or Curtis to be able to work one-on-one with a DB. The offensive decision-makers attempted to remedy the absence of Smith by using Avant's big frame in the red zone yesterday, but a combination of a good defensive play on a ball that was thrown too late prevented a touchdown. But Avant, and Hank Baskett, may be the answer to the immediate problem of red zone effeciancy.
Yet another problem hampering this offense has been the pass protection. Despite cutting down their sacks by 75% from the previous game, the line still gave up 3 sacks to a Jets defense that had only recorded 3 sacks the entire season. Some of the protection problems are personnel, as except for William 'Tra" Thomas, this is an offensive line made of maulers who beat a defense down by run blcking, not retreating into a pass block. But a lot of it has to do with McNabb. No longer mobile, McNabb must realize he only has a certain amount of time to release the ball, meaning he must find an opened receiver, throw to a spot and hope his receiver gets there, or throw the football away. Donovan has never had to throw the ball away of force a ball in to a tight spot, he's been able to wait. Waiting and buying time is no longer an option.
But how can this offense expect to become part of a playoff contending team, or at the very least, match the level of which the defense is playing. The answer, despite what Andy Reid and the rest of the coaching staff may say, is quite simple. Running. Running the ball will allow the entire offense to open up the way it did in 2006 and even 2004 (the T.O. days). The only argument against becomming a run-first offense, other than a pass-happy stubborn head coach, is that the team's feature back cannot handle more of a work load than he's already been given. Although Westbrook may argue otherwise, all indications lead to Westbrook not being able to handle 30-35 carries per game. But #36 does not need to touch the ball that much, in fact, I would not advocate giving Westbrook more than 20-23 carries, to go along with his 5-6 catches, per game. The change needs to come into when the ball is handed off, and to whom. First, running on third down is a must. It will keep the defense honest and result in more first downs. Westbrook is averaing 5.8 yards per carry. Give him the ball on third and five-or-less and it will result in a first down. And now that teams believe the Eagles will run in any situation, safeties will be brought up in to the box more often, leaving the receivers more room to make plays down the field. Also, play action will become a weapon, as it will actually work in the manner it was intended, and freeze the front seven as the decipher between run or pass and buy McNabb more time to go through his reads. Also, Correll Buckhalter needs to get more involved. Buck is averaging 5.4 yards per carry, and ran for 103 yards on 17 carries in Westbrook's absence in the week 4 mess that was the Giants game. Putting both Westbrook and Buckhalter on the field together will result in major match up problems for a defense, especially considering the possibility of splitting Westbrook out wide. Even Tony Hunt can get involved, as his 233 pound frame can contribute in short yardage and red zone situations. This team could easily become an even better running team than the '03 Birds, whose "three-headed monster" of Westbrook, Buckhalter and Duce Staley carried the team to an NFC Championship appearance.
The Philadelphia Eagles offensive woes will not resolve themselves over night, and will, in all likeliood, continue against the Chicago Bears' stout defense in the upcoming week. But becomming a team that is willing to run in any situation is the only way to start the turnaround. Andy Reid must realize that running will not only bolster Westbrook and the RB's statistics, but the entire offenses'. The receivers will have more time to get open and McNabb will have more time to find a receiver down the field for a big gain. The defense has kept the Eagles in all five games this season. The D gave up no touchdowns to Green Bay, 1 TD to Washington, 3 TDs to the Lions, 1 TD to the Giants, and 0 TDs to the Jets. The offense, lead by Reid and his staff, must step up and realize the only way to capitalize on the strong play of the D is to run the ball to open up the rest of the offense and, ultimately, score more points. This comeback is a long-shot. The Cowboys are good. The Packers are off to a hot start. There are a handful of teams in the middle that will fight to win every week. The Eagles can break away from that pack by makng some minor adjustments. If it as obvious to Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg as it is to the fans (myself included) as to what must be done to fix this team than it should be a fun year. But if the coaches stay the course then this team will fail. Reid said he was stating the obvious by saying the offense had to score more touchdowns. Let's hope the "how" is as obvious as the "what",
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Bye Week Over, 12 Games Remain
The first quarter of the 2007 Philadelphia Eagles season is gone, and after a 1-3 start, the bye week could not have come sooner. Within the three losses the offense has averaged under 10 points per game. The lone sign of hope came from a 56-21 drubbing of the lowly Detroit Lions. It seems as if Coach Reid's vaunted West Coast Offense has migrated south. To put these numbers in perspective, the disaster that was the 2005 Eagles team averaged just under 18 points per game (over 15 games, taking away the 42-3 victory against the 49ers, who were even worse than the '07 Lions). The '05 Eagles averaged almost double the '07 version, so far, and these numbers include the 42-0 shutout the Eagles suffered to Seattle in 2005. So with an offense that seems to be all but inept, what can fans honestly expect from the Birds over the next 12 games. Let's take a look.
This Sunday the Eagles once again must trek up the turnpike, this time to face the the New York Jets. Despite the Jets' 1-4 record they are averaging 19.2 points per game and are looking to avenge the loss to their Meadowland-roommates, the "New York" Giants. But the Eagles need the win and have always been successful after the bye week. The Eagles should put up at least 21 points this week and the defense should be able to take the ball away from the accurate but weak-armed Chad Pennington. Prediction: Eagles 24, Jets 20. Eagles record: 2-3.
Sunday 10/21 the Bears come in to Philadelphia for a 4:15 meeting of 2006's NFC North and East champions. The Bears went to the Superbowl last season but have been nconsistent on offense, and are treading water at 2-3. But the Bears pulled off a 27-20 victory over the previously undefeated Green Bay Packers. If the defense gets in a groove, which it very well may, as Chicago plays rival Minnestoa before they come into the Linc. The Eagles have struggled against moderately proficient defenses this season, and will certainly struggle against Urlacher & Co. Even if the Eagles' D keeps the game close, Devin Hester will come up big late in the game and, hopefully, prove to Andy that special teams matter. Prediction: Eagles13, Bears 20. Eagles record: 2-4.
10/28 @ Minnesota. The Vikings are not very good but have a strong defense and running game, and will be coming off a loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles will also be coming off a loss, and history shows the Eagles are going to want to come out firing. Big yards for McNabb in this game but the offense will sputter in the redzone, putting the game in David Akers hands, and with the game being played in-doors, the Eagles should be able to pull this game out. Prediction: Eagles 26, Vikings 17. Eagles record: 3-4.
11/4 vs. Dallas. This game will be Philadelphia's Super Bowl. No matter what these two teams' records show, this will be close and a lot of points will be scored. T.O. will be looking to score in Philly after a disappointing homecoming in 2006. McNabb will be looking to show up his nemesis, and the crowd will be fired up and will this team to win it late, as they did last season. Dallas' secondary is capable of the big play but won't be able to contain the speed of the Eagles receivers. Reggie Brown will actually play a role in this game and may even catch a deep touchdown. Prediction: Eagles 31, Cowboys 27. Eagles record: 4-4.
11/11 @ Washington. On an emotional let-down game for the Eagles, Washington will be comig off an AFC East road trip, after back-to-back games in New England and the Meadowlands. Looking to get back on track, Washington will keep the ball away from the suddenly hot Eagles offense by running, even if the ground game doesn't yield immediate big gains. The Eagles will continue to score points, but with fewer possessions it will be tough to keep the offense balanced, and Washington will prevail in what will be called a vintage NFC East battle. Prediction: Eagles 21, Redskins 27. Eagles record: 4-5.
11/18 vs. Miami. With no quarterback, Ronnie Brown will be asked to carry the Dolphins' offense and the Eagles D will not respect the passing game, and will stack the box, much like the '05 Birds played against San Diego. Brown will make big plays in a showdown of nop-notch running backs. Brian Westbrook will steal Ronnie's thunder and will dominate this afternoon contest, and Brian's performance may resemble his week three out-put in which he put up over 200 yards and 3 touchdowns. Eagles bounce back from a divisional loss to beat a down-and-out AFC team. Prediction: Eagles 28, Dolphins 24. Eagles record: 5-5.
11/25 @ New England. No chance. The Eagles will not be close at any point in this game. New England will be vying for a perfect season and cementing themselves as one of the great teams of all-time. The Eagles offense will struggle against the 3-4 and the defense will not be able to contain Brady, Moss, Stallworth or Watson. This game will be ugly and could be the death knell for an Eagles team that comes into New England with a .500 record. Prediction: Eagles 17, Patriots 48. Eagles record: 5-6.
12/2 vs. Seattle. Coming off a backbreaker in New Egland, Philadelphia will come still stinging from the beating in Foxborough. Seattle will come in to the Linc looking to break away from the still tight NFC West. The Eagles will launch the Seahawks into the playoffs and this loss may be McNabb's farewell, as this drowning team may may start to look towards the future by playing the team's first 2007 draft pick, Kevin Kolb. Prediction: Eagles 16, Seahawks 20. Eagles record: 5-7.
12/9 vs. NY Giants. Although the season may be dead, this team, possibly under the direction of Kevin Kold or AJ Feeley, will step up and prove the team as a whole is not a lost cause. Westbrook will continue his career-long trend of Giant-killing, and will see plenty of carries now that McNabb has either been benched or IRed. Eli Manning will turn the ball over early and often and set up his defense with a short field all day. Eagles win in a hard-hitting battle. Eagles 17, Giants 13. Eagles record: 6-7.
12/16 @ Dallas. Dallas will avenge their November loss in Philly by wrapping up NFC home-field advantage in this week 15 matchup. Romo won't be great, but the defense will be worn down enough at this point in the season to give up chunks of yards, especially on third downs. The Eagles offense will look promising with a rookie under center, but they will also make rookie mistakes while they continue to adjust to a still-new QB. Prediction: Eagles: 17, Cowboys 21. Eagles record: 6-8.
12/23 @ New Orleans. Despite a slow start, New Orleans will be able to hang around .500 for the season and the Super Dome will continue to be a House of Horrors for the Eagles. New Orleans' O will move the ball but won't score a whole lot but the Eagles will start slow and won't be able to bounce back (see the 2006 regular season matchup). Prediction: Eagles 20, Saints 23. Eagles record: 6-9.
12/30 vs. Buffalo. The season closer against another bad team, in a showdown of rookie QBs. Buffalo will be down-and-out as well but looking to prove the future is brighter. Kolb will be looking to prove he is Philadelphia's future, and will put up good numbers. The Eagles D will explode, lead by former Buffalo Bill Takeo Spikes, and win it for the Eagles in a game of "who cares?" Prediction: Eagles 27, Bills 12. Eagles record: 7-9.
These are my predictions for the Eagles, if they continue to play the way they have over the first quarter of the season. I am not guaranteeing any of this, as it is all simply speculation. I do not wish for this to be a throw-away season, nor do I wish to watch a farewell defeat or injury for Donovan McNabb. Hopefully the birds can turn it around, but this is how I see the remaining 12 games going down.
This Sunday the Eagles once again must trek up the turnpike, this time to face the the New York Jets. Despite the Jets' 1-4 record they are averaging 19.2 points per game and are looking to avenge the loss to their Meadowland-roommates, the "New York" Giants. But the Eagles need the win and have always been successful after the bye week. The Eagles should put up at least 21 points this week and the defense should be able to take the ball away from the accurate but weak-armed Chad Pennington. Prediction: Eagles 24, Jets 20. Eagles record: 2-3.
Sunday 10/21 the Bears come in to Philadelphia for a 4:15 meeting of 2006's NFC North and East champions. The Bears went to the Superbowl last season but have been nconsistent on offense, and are treading water at 2-3. But the Bears pulled off a 27-20 victory over the previously undefeated Green Bay Packers. If the defense gets in a groove, which it very well may, as Chicago plays rival Minnestoa before they come into the Linc. The Eagles have struggled against moderately proficient defenses this season, and will certainly struggle against Urlacher & Co. Even if the Eagles' D keeps the game close, Devin Hester will come up big late in the game and, hopefully, prove to Andy that special teams matter. Prediction: Eagles13, Bears 20. Eagles record: 2-4.
10/28 @ Minnesota. The Vikings are not very good but have a strong defense and running game, and will be coming off a loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles will also be coming off a loss, and history shows the Eagles are going to want to come out firing. Big yards for McNabb in this game but the offense will sputter in the redzone, putting the game in David Akers hands, and with the game being played in-doors, the Eagles should be able to pull this game out. Prediction: Eagles 26, Vikings 17. Eagles record: 3-4.
11/4 vs. Dallas. This game will be Philadelphia's Super Bowl. No matter what these two teams' records show, this will be close and a lot of points will be scored. T.O. will be looking to score in Philly after a disappointing homecoming in 2006. McNabb will be looking to show up his nemesis, and the crowd will be fired up and will this team to win it late, as they did last season. Dallas' secondary is capable of the big play but won't be able to contain the speed of the Eagles receivers. Reggie Brown will actually play a role in this game and may even catch a deep touchdown. Prediction: Eagles 31, Cowboys 27. Eagles record: 4-4.
11/11 @ Washington. On an emotional let-down game for the Eagles, Washington will be comig off an AFC East road trip, after back-to-back games in New England and the Meadowlands. Looking to get back on track, Washington will keep the ball away from the suddenly hot Eagles offense by running, even if the ground game doesn't yield immediate big gains. The Eagles will continue to score points, but with fewer possessions it will be tough to keep the offense balanced, and Washington will prevail in what will be called a vintage NFC East battle. Prediction: Eagles 21, Redskins 27. Eagles record: 4-5.
11/18 vs. Miami. With no quarterback, Ronnie Brown will be asked to carry the Dolphins' offense and the Eagles D will not respect the passing game, and will stack the box, much like the '05 Birds played against San Diego. Brown will make big plays in a showdown of nop-notch running backs. Brian Westbrook will steal Ronnie's thunder and will dominate this afternoon contest, and Brian's performance may resemble his week three out-put in which he put up over 200 yards and 3 touchdowns. Eagles bounce back from a divisional loss to beat a down-and-out AFC team. Prediction: Eagles 28, Dolphins 24. Eagles record: 5-5.
11/25 @ New England. No chance. The Eagles will not be close at any point in this game. New England will be vying for a perfect season and cementing themselves as one of the great teams of all-time. The Eagles offense will struggle against the 3-4 and the defense will not be able to contain Brady, Moss, Stallworth or Watson. This game will be ugly and could be the death knell for an Eagles team that comes into New England with a .500 record. Prediction: Eagles 17, Patriots 48. Eagles record: 5-6.
12/2 vs. Seattle. Coming off a backbreaker in New Egland, Philadelphia will come still stinging from the beating in Foxborough. Seattle will come in to the Linc looking to break away from the still tight NFC West. The Eagles will launch the Seahawks into the playoffs and this loss may be McNabb's farewell, as this drowning team may may start to look towards the future by playing the team's first 2007 draft pick, Kevin Kolb. Prediction: Eagles 16, Seahawks 20. Eagles record: 5-7.
12/9 vs. NY Giants. Although the season may be dead, this team, possibly under the direction of Kevin Kold or AJ Feeley, will step up and prove the team as a whole is not a lost cause. Westbrook will continue his career-long trend of Giant-killing, and will see plenty of carries now that McNabb has either been benched or IRed. Eli Manning will turn the ball over early and often and set up his defense with a short field all day. Eagles win in a hard-hitting battle. Eagles 17, Giants 13. Eagles record: 6-7.
12/16 @ Dallas. Dallas will avenge their November loss in Philly by wrapping up NFC home-field advantage in this week 15 matchup. Romo won't be great, but the defense will be worn down enough at this point in the season to give up chunks of yards, especially on third downs. The Eagles offense will look promising with a rookie under center, but they will also make rookie mistakes while they continue to adjust to a still-new QB. Prediction: Eagles: 17, Cowboys 21. Eagles record: 6-8.
12/23 @ New Orleans. Despite a slow start, New Orleans will be able to hang around .500 for the season and the Super Dome will continue to be a House of Horrors for the Eagles. New Orleans' O will move the ball but won't score a whole lot but the Eagles will start slow and won't be able to bounce back (see the 2006 regular season matchup). Prediction: Eagles 20, Saints 23. Eagles record: 6-9.
12/30 vs. Buffalo. The season closer against another bad team, in a showdown of rookie QBs. Buffalo will be down-and-out as well but looking to prove the future is brighter. Kolb will be looking to prove he is Philadelphia's future, and will put up good numbers. The Eagles D will explode, lead by former Buffalo Bill Takeo Spikes, and win it for the Eagles in a game of "who cares?" Prediction: Eagles 27, Bills 12. Eagles record: 7-9.
These are my predictions for the Eagles, if they continue to play the way they have over the first quarter of the season. I am not guaranteeing any of this, as it is all simply speculation. I do not wish for this to be a throw-away season, nor do I wish to watch a farewell defeat or injury for Donovan McNabb. Hopefully the birds can turn it around, but this is how I see the remaining 12 games going down.
Monday, October 8, 2007
It Was Fun While It Lasted But Now We Should Be Going
After a 14 year absence the Phillies made their post season debut and were swept out of the first round by the Colorado Rockies, 3-0. There were poor performances across the board, and there is no one person to blame. Utley was bad. Howard wasn't much better. Rowand started strong and fell off. Rollins, except for a superb game two, was disappointing. The bullpen wasn't great, and who thought J.C. Romero would give up the hits and runs that lost the final game? Gordon gave up a homerun in the first game. Burrell's fielding was... no worse than it had been all season, but not any better. The 2007 Phillies' season ended in heart-breaking fashion, but it should not be remembered as anything short of a successful year. While it was easy to get swept up by Brandon Lang and everybody on ESPN picking the Phillies to end up in the World Series, reality must set in. Eventually the pitching staff (game two), streaky hitting (entire series) and lack of a tactical manager (game two) would be exposed. After a story-book season, all the holes in the roster were brought to the spotlight by the very talented and very HOT Colorado Rockies. The playoffs were a learning experience for this club, and, hopefully, the experience will pay off in years to come. So while the 3-0 sweep may still sting to many in Phillies-Nation, please remember 2007 was a season to remember fondly. Chase Utley solidified himself as one of the top players in the game. Ryan Howard, in a "down" year, finished second in the National League in both homeruns (47) and RBI (136). Jimmy Rollins called the Phillies the team to beat in the NL East and delivered an MVP-caliber season, a season in which Rollins started all 162 games. Pat Burrell, despite a below the mendoza-line first half, finished strong and carried the offense during Utley's absence due to a broken hand. Aaron Rowand's offense matched his Gold Glove-worthy defense, as he set career highs in all basically every offensive catergory. Michael Bourn and Shane Victorino added the speed that had been missing in the offense for the last several years, and also played extraordinary defense. Cole Hamels, when healthy, proved to be a true ace, finding a way to keep his team close and pull out victories even in situatins where he was not at the top of his game. Kyle Kendrick was promoted from struggling AA-ball player to solid Major League starter. Brett Myers became a solid closer. So while it is a shame the Phills, after all this time, went down quietly into the night, 2007 as a whole was far from a failure. This team has plenty to build upon, and now that they have the experience should be in the postseason for several years to come.
There are plenty of ways for this team to improve, and after a season in which over three-million people came through the gates of Citizens Bank Park, and not to mention all the cash that came i during the brief playoff run through merchandising and ticket sales, as well as a projected rise in the number of season ticket holders due to recent successes, the Phillies front office should have plenty of money to put an even better team on the field in 2008. The first issue in need of attention needs to be pitching. As far as the starting five are concerned, the best potential rotation would be Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick, Kyle Lohse and Brett Myers. That's right, Myers. But Brett can only be moved back in to the rotation if the bullpen is solidified, and not just pieced together with popsicle sticks and bubble gum as it has been recently. The first order of business would be to re-sign J.C. Romero. Romero was excellent for the Phillies down the stretch and can be a light-out set-up man, Romero needs to be back. Hopefully Ryan Madson will return to full health and become a rock in the bullpen as he has been at times in his career. Flash Gordon, still under contract, will return but cannot be depended on for very much. Alfonseca will, in all likelihood, leave via free agency. A closer is needed. If a top-two starter is not acquired then it is imperative Myers be moved back in to the rotation and a closer is somehow brought to the roster. Ed Wade pulled the Billy Wagner-rabbit out of his hat for Brandon Duckworth, surely Pat Gillick can do something to improve the back end of the bullpen.
Infielders. Tadahito Iguchi is a key to the infield and is an excellent right-handed bat off the bench. Although Utley is the franchise, he has shown signs of wearing down near the end of seasons, and having Iguchi as an option at second base will make it easier for whoever manages in 2008 to justify an off-day for Utley. Third base also needs to be addressed. If Greg Dobbs is the man he needs to improve his inconsistent fielding and learn to hit lefties the way Utley and Howard learned. If third base will continue to be platooned, Wes Helms serves no real purpose and the duties should be split between Dobbs and defensive-specislist Abraham Nunez. The efforts of those two players should be enough in an in-field consisting of three other superstars. Carlos Ruiz proved himself as a major league catcher, but a dependable back-up is always a hot commodity at such a physically demanding position. It would be great to see Chris Coste take that roll, but management hasn't shown much trust in Coste, for whatever reason, so don't be surprised to see a veteran brought in, if for no other reason than to help Ruiz progress and give him an occassional day off.
Outfielders. First and foremost is Aaron Rowand. Rowand will be commanding big money after a career year and the Phillies need to open up the purse strings, especially if the pitching staff is not sugnificantly bolstered. However, if several high-priced hurlers are added, that could justify the loss of Rowand. Beyond Philadelphia's favorite kamikaze, the are several other issuses in the outfield. A big contract, including a no-trade clause will keep Pat Burrell in a Phillies uniform for at least 2008. Shane Victorino may be moved to center field if Rowand is not re-signed. Moving Victorino would leave right field to be occupied by Jayson Werth and/or Michael Bourn. Bourn, however, is rumored to be on the move in exchange for pitching. Trading Bourn doesn't seem to make much sense for a few reasons. 1- Bourn probably won't be traded for any anyone better that Kyle Lohse, and trading one of the team's X-factors for a third or fourth starter doesn't seem logical. 2- Depth. the strength of the outfield this season has been its depth, whether it be platooning due to a slumping Pat Burrell, pinch running and fielding for an un-athletic Pat Burrell, or filling in for Shane Victorino during injuries, having Michael Bourn's speed and defense as well as Jayson Werth's all around solid play off the bence were one of this team's greatest assets in 2007. Free-agency is an option for outfielders, but if a free agent is signed, especially to play center, that will beg the question as to why not just re-sign the fan-favorite, face-smashing legend who has occupied center field for the past two seasons.
I know it is early to talk about 2008, as the 2007 playoffs have yet to reach the LCS round. But the Phillies first round loss lead me to believe this season was a building block for the future. The entire roster matured. And even though Philly was swept out of the first round, the experience gained through the year and through the playoffs will ensure the 2008 Phillies are a World Series contender. And now that must be the goal. After finally getting a taste of the postseason, this team has to prove they are the team to beat in the East. And if 2008 ends in anything less than a World Series victory, that will be an under-achievement. But as for '07, everyone should take a step back and realize exactly how much OUR team accomplished over the past 165 games.
There are plenty of ways for this team to improve, and after a season in which over three-million people came through the gates of Citizens Bank Park, and not to mention all the cash that came i during the brief playoff run through merchandising and ticket sales, as well as a projected rise in the number of season ticket holders due to recent successes, the Phillies front office should have plenty of money to put an even better team on the field in 2008. The first issue in need of attention needs to be pitching. As far as the starting five are concerned, the best potential rotation would be Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick, Kyle Lohse and Brett Myers. That's right, Myers. But Brett can only be moved back in to the rotation if the bullpen is solidified, and not just pieced together with popsicle sticks and bubble gum as it has been recently. The first order of business would be to re-sign J.C. Romero. Romero was excellent for the Phillies down the stretch and can be a light-out set-up man, Romero needs to be back. Hopefully Ryan Madson will return to full health and become a rock in the bullpen as he has been at times in his career. Flash Gordon, still under contract, will return but cannot be depended on for very much. Alfonseca will, in all likelihood, leave via free agency. A closer is needed. If a top-two starter is not acquired then it is imperative Myers be moved back in to the rotation and a closer is somehow brought to the roster. Ed Wade pulled the Billy Wagner-rabbit out of his hat for Brandon Duckworth, surely Pat Gillick can do something to improve the back end of the bullpen.
Infielders. Tadahito Iguchi is a key to the infield and is an excellent right-handed bat off the bench. Although Utley is the franchise, he has shown signs of wearing down near the end of seasons, and having Iguchi as an option at second base will make it easier for whoever manages in 2008 to justify an off-day for Utley. Third base also needs to be addressed. If Greg Dobbs is the man he needs to improve his inconsistent fielding and learn to hit lefties the way Utley and Howard learned. If third base will continue to be platooned, Wes Helms serves no real purpose and the duties should be split between Dobbs and defensive-specislist Abraham Nunez. The efforts of those two players should be enough in an in-field consisting of three other superstars. Carlos Ruiz proved himself as a major league catcher, but a dependable back-up is always a hot commodity at such a physically demanding position. It would be great to see Chris Coste take that roll, but management hasn't shown much trust in Coste, for whatever reason, so don't be surprised to see a veteran brought in, if for no other reason than to help Ruiz progress and give him an occassional day off.
Outfielders. First and foremost is Aaron Rowand. Rowand will be commanding big money after a career year and the Phillies need to open up the purse strings, especially if the pitching staff is not sugnificantly bolstered. However, if several high-priced hurlers are added, that could justify the loss of Rowand. Beyond Philadelphia's favorite kamikaze, the are several other issuses in the outfield. A big contract, including a no-trade clause will keep Pat Burrell in a Phillies uniform for at least 2008. Shane Victorino may be moved to center field if Rowand is not re-signed. Moving Victorino would leave right field to be occupied by Jayson Werth and/or Michael Bourn. Bourn, however, is rumored to be on the move in exchange for pitching. Trading Bourn doesn't seem to make much sense for a few reasons. 1- Bourn probably won't be traded for any anyone better that Kyle Lohse, and trading one of the team's X-factors for a third or fourth starter doesn't seem logical. 2- Depth. the strength of the outfield this season has been its depth, whether it be platooning due to a slumping Pat Burrell, pinch running and fielding for an un-athletic Pat Burrell, or filling in for Shane Victorino during injuries, having Michael Bourn's speed and defense as well as Jayson Werth's all around solid play off the bence were one of this team's greatest assets in 2007. Free-agency is an option for outfielders, but if a free agent is signed, especially to play center, that will beg the question as to why not just re-sign the fan-favorite, face-smashing legend who has occupied center field for the past two seasons.
I know it is early to talk about 2008, as the 2007 playoffs have yet to reach the LCS round. But the Phillies first round loss lead me to believe this season was a building block for the future. The entire roster matured. And even though Philly was swept out of the first round, the experience gained through the year and through the playoffs will ensure the 2008 Phillies are a World Series contender. And now that must be the goal. After finally getting a taste of the postseason, this team has to prove they are the team to beat in the East. And if 2008 ends in anything less than a World Series victory, that will be an under-achievement. But as for '07, everyone should take a step back and realize exactly how much OUR team accomplished over the past 165 games.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
0-2 is "What If..." and Looking Forward
The Philadelphia Phillies have made their return to the postseason after a fourteen hiatus, and after two emotional days at Citizens Bank Park the Phillies find themselves in an 0-2 hole. The best-of-five series now shifts, for at least one game, to Colorado. Looking back on the first two games it seems there were plenty of chances for the Phillies to split, if not take both, of their home games. The offense came up small in game one, but Hamels pitched a good game, minus the second inning, in which Hamels allowed three runs and threw forty pitches. Hamels has since attributed his one bad inning to having been over-dressed for the occasion. Hamels started the game wearing a long sleeve t-shirt underneath his jersey and by the second inning was sweating profusely, which resulted in his inability to properly grip his changeup and curveball. Once the 23-year old ace returned to the dugout he took off his long sleeve and went on to surrender no hits and one walk from the third inning until he was taken out with two outs in the seventh inning. Hamels' final line was 6.2 IP, 3 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks and 7 strikeouts. If Hamels doesn't wear the sleeves he very well could have pitched a 7 or possibly 8 inning shut-out and the Phillies win the game and take the lead in the series. In game two, after Kyle Kendrick surrendered back-to-back homeruns in the top of the first inning, MVP candidate lead off the game the way did nine times in the regular season, with a homerun. The Phills went on to take a 3-2 lead in the third inning, before Kaz Matsui hit a grandslam homerun off Kyle Lohse in the fourth. Lohse came in to relieve Kyle Kendrick, who 3.2 innings and gave up 5 runs (Kendrick was responsible for the 3 scoring baserunners on Matsui's slam). This made the score 10-3 Colorado, but hope was not lost. Rollins notched his fourth RBI of the game on a ground-out to Todd Helton in the seventh, scoring Shane Victorino. 10-5 Colorado. The Rockies were held scoreless in the top of the eighth and the Phills managed to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the eighth but Carlos Ruiz grounded out to end the inning. If Ruiz is able to get on base it would score at least one, and send Chris Coste to the plate with runners in scoring position. This could have brought the game closer, if not tied the score and pumped up the top of the order to win the game in the ninth inning. Sadly these "IFs" did not come true and the team that gave the city of Philadelphia everything it had to win the NL East and a playoff spot is now on the brink of elimination.
One more loss and the amazing 2007 season will be a memory. Three straight wins. The Phillies must go in to Coors Field and win twice, then come back home to the Bank on Tuesday (10/9) and win again. That is what it is going to take to get to the National League Championship Series. Seven teams have come back from an 0-2 hole. Only one of those teams, the 2001 Yankees, dropped their first two home games and then won three straight. So to quote fictional Cleveland Indians manager Lou Brown, from the classic film Major League, "It has been done before." Is it likely? No. But starting a season 4-11 and making the playoffs is not a likely outcome, either. Coming back to win the division from a seven game defecit with seventeen games to play didn't seem very likely to anybody in the city. But this team did it. As they have had to do all season, the Philadelphia Phillies must dig themselves out of a hole in order to keep the 2007 season, and the dream of a champion in Philadelphia, alive. Utley needs to find his stroke. He's 2-for-9 in the series with five strikeouts. Howard homered today and needs to continue to produce after his 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in game one. Burrell continues to impress as does Rollins. Not enough can be said about what Rollins means to this team. Just look at his stats from game two: 2-for-5, 4 RBI, 1 HR, 1 3B. He does it all. Holiday means a lot to the Rox, but J-Roll is a run producing machine as well as a Web Gem waiting to happen. The MVP of this league is Jimmy Rollins. He has no peers, not this year. Yet I digress. Back to this series. The bottom of the order, Rowand, Werth, Ruiz and whoever Charlie Manuel plays at third base are the keys to the next three games. If Utley and Howard start producing as they did in the regular season they will be pitched around. It is up to the bottom of the lineup to prove they are a threat, too.
The second key will be starting pitching. The bullpen rollercoastered through the regular season and are now going down a very steep drop. Getting an early lead, and not giving up early runs, are imperative to the Phillies success of the next three games. Kyle Lohse pitched 1.1 innings in relief today, meaning Jamie Moyer will start game three. The veteran lefty has been here before and will need to lead this to a strong start. If the umpiring of the first two games is any indication, Moyer is going to struggle. But the 44-year old is a crafty pitcher and will need to be on top of his game and be able to think himself out of trouble if the Phillies are going to avoid the sweep. Game three is on Saturday. that gives every body on the roster a day to sit back on the plane to Denver and reflect on exactly what it is they need to do to bring this series back to Philly. It also means an extra day of rest for Lohse, Tom Gordon, J.C. Romero and Brett Myers. they are the only releivers who will be touching the ball for the rest of this series and they will now get a day to recuperate from what has been a long season. Chasing and playing from behind takes a lot out of team, but that is no excuse. The Rockies came back from a huge defecit to take the Wild Card and played an extra game, the tie-breaker vs. San Diego on Monday. It has been an exhilerating and downright amazing season, but the ride isn't over yet. This team knows what they have to do, and, personally, I've given up giving up on them.
Does the outcome of this series look bleak right now? Obviously. But this city has seen far too many crazier turn-arounds to doubt the Phillies. The '64 collapse. The Flyers blowing a 3-1 series lead to New Jersey. The Eagles losing three straight NFC Championship games. In a season where the Phillies' fortunes were seemingly reversed, and the Phills overcame every obstacle to finally get back to the playoffs, maybe coming back from an 0-2 defecit doesn't seem too impossible. And to put this in perspective I will finish this article with three final words: WHY NOT US?
One more loss and the amazing 2007 season will be a memory. Three straight wins. The Phillies must go in to Coors Field and win twice, then come back home to the Bank on Tuesday (10/9) and win again. That is what it is going to take to get to the National League Championship Series. Seven teams have come back from an 0-2 hole. Only one of those teams, the 2001 Yankees, dropped their first two home games and then won three straight. So to quote fictional Cleveland Indians manager Lou Brown, from the classic film Major League, "It has been done before." Is it likely? No. But starting a season 4-11 and making the playoffs is not a likely outcome, either. Coming back to win the division from a seven game defecit with seventeen games to play didn't seem very likely to anybody in the city. But this team did it. As they have had to do all season, the Philadelphia Phillies must dig themselves out of a hole in order to keep the 2007 season, and the dream of a champion in Philadelphia, alive. Utley needs to find his stroke. He's 2-for-9 in the series with five strikeouts. Howard homered today and needs to continue to produce after his 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in game one. Burrell continues to impress as does Rollins. Not enough can be said about what Rollins means to this team. Just look at his stats from game two: 2-for-5, 4 RBI, 1 HR, 1 3B. He does it all. Holiday means a lot to the Rox, but J-Roll is a run producing machine as well as a Web Gem waiting to happen. The MVP of this league is Jimmy Rollins. He has no peers, not this year. Yet I digress. Back to this series. The bottom of the order, Rowand, Werth, Ruiz and whoever Charlie Manuel plays at third base are the keys to the next three games. If Utley and Howard start producing as they did in the regular season they will be pitched around. It is up to the bottom of the lineup to prove they are a threat, too.
The second key will be starting pitching. The bullpen rollercoastered through the regular season and are now going down a very steep drop. Getting an early lead, and not giving up early runs, are imperative to the Phillies success of the next three games. Kyle Lohse pitched 1.1 innings in relief today, meaning Jamie Moyer will start game three. The veteran lefty has been here before and will need to lead this to a strong start. If the umpiring of the first two games is any indication, Moyer is going to struggle. But the 44-year old is a crafty pitcher and will need to be on top of his game and be able to think himself out of trouble if the Phillies are going to avoid the sweep. Game three is on Saturday. that gives every body on the roster a day to sit back on the plane to Denver and reflect on exactly what it is they need to do to bring this series back to Philly. It also means an extra day of rest for Lohse, Tom Gordon, J.C. Romero and Brett Myers. they are the only releivers who will be touching the ball for the rest of this series and they will now get a day to recuperate from what has been a long season. Chasing and playing from behind takes a lot out of team, but that is no excuse. The Rockies came back from a huge defecit to take the Wild Card and played an extra game, the tie-breaker vs. San Diego on Monday. It has been an exhilerating and downright amazing season, but the ride isn't over yet. This team knows what they have to do, and, personally, I've given up giving up on them.
Does the outcome of this series look bleak right now? Obviously. But this city has seen far too many crazier turn-arounds to doubt the Phillies. The '64 collapse. The Flyers blowing a 3-1 series lead to New Jersey. The Eagles losing three straight NFC Championship games. In a season where the Phillies' fortunes were seemingly reversed, and the Phills overcame every obstacle to finally get back to the playoffs, maybe coming back from an 0-2 defecit doesn't seem too impossible. And to put this in perspective I will finish this article with three final words: WHY NOT US?
Monday, October 1, 2007
That's Not How Sunday Should Have Ended
On a day when the Philadelphia Phillies clinched the National League East, found their way into the playoffs after a 14-year hiatus and dethrowned the Mets, the Philadelphia Eagles, for the first time in a long time, were not the lead story in Philadelphia. But the Eagles were a story yesterday, a story that could be found under "TRAGEDY" in any local library. The Eagles were embarrassed in a 16-3 defeat to their NFC East rivals, the New York Giants. The Giants defense, lead by Osi Umenyiora's 6 sacks (note: that is not a typo, Umenyiora had 6 sacks), sacked McNabb a total of twelve times and forced him to fumble twice. The receivers returned to the form of the first two weeks and refused to get opened and when they did they dropped the ball. The defense was again impressive, surrendering only 10 points (the Giants D scored a touchdown on a fumble return and then missed the extra point), intercepting an Eli Manning pass in the red zone, stuffing the run and containing Plaxico Burress, although Burress did catch a touchdown on a jump-ball play over the head of Sheldon Brown (sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it?) So on a day where the Birds could have been the icing on an extraordinarily delicious Philadelphia sports cake, they again looked dreadful. So the question remains, how good (or bad) are the 2007 Philadelphia Eagles?
Once again, I don't believe the Eagles are as bad as they appeared to be last night, but they are light years behind their week 3 performance in which they scored 56 points and simply dominated. I would first, due mostly to the gleeful mood the Phillies, like to focus on the psitive. It shouldn't take very long and it'll be best to just get it out of the way. The defense. The D gave up only 83 net rushing yards on 27 rushes for an average of 3.1 yards per attempt. Omar Gaither recorded an interception in the red zone and there was even a JEVON KEARSE SIGHTING! That's right, Kearse, who recorded a half sack in week one's loss to Green Bay and no tackles since that game, recorded 3 tackles, including a sack. This brings Kearse's season toals (after 4 games) to an underwhelming 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks. The defense also held Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey to a combined 41 receiving yards on only 5 catches. Beyond the defense, the only bright spot was Correll Buckhalter. With Brian Westbrook sidelined after straining his abdomen while juking out a Lions defender last week, Buckhalter rushed for 103 yards on 17 carries and caught 4 balls for 35 yards. The lone bright-spot on the offense, Buckhalter proved the Eagles offensive strength is running the ball, with or without Westbrook.
Now for the bad. For the readers who do not have much time I suggest going to whatever prior engagment now and returning when there is more time to read. The Eagles looked like my beloved Temple Owls last night, in that there was a lot of bad. As do so many games in the NFL, the game was decided by the battle at the line of scrimmage last night. The offensive line allowed the Giants' defense to pickup a record 12 sacks Sunday night, six of which were by Osi Umenyiora. Matched up against 2006 second-round draft choice Winston Justice, Umenyiora dominated in every way imaginable and beat Justice like he were a criminal. Out with a knee injury, the Artist Formerly Known As 'Tra', William Thomas is the Eagles' best pass-blocker and was desperately missed last night. Although Justice is the top O-line prospect and will probably develop into Kevin Kolb's blind-side protector one day, there should have been a change at half-time when it became obvious he could not contain Umenyiora. Todd Herremans has experience at left tackle and could have been shifted to that position and been replaced at guard by Max Jean-Gilles. This may not have made a difference, but Justice didn't need to be John Madden and Al Michaels' whipping boy once it became clear Umenyiora was too much for Justice. The rest of the o-line wasn't much better but Justice is the goat on this Monday. But it wasn't all the line's fault. They did an excellent job of run-blocking and selling Buckhalter's cutbacks and McNabb's counters and pitch fakes. The playcalling was again Andy-esque, as there were 31 pass plays and only 23 rushes. The net yards per pass play was a mere 0.2 yards, which was actually an overall improvement from the halftime total of -0.4 yards per pass. The rushing plays, however, averaged 5 yards per attempt and accounted for 8 of the Eagles' 16 first downs. Buckhalter alone gained over 100 yards and averaged over 5 yards per carry, and although he lacks Westbrook's explosiveness, was able to rip off several long gains on the ground and warranted more touches. But I suppose that would just make too much sense. It seemed as if Reid, or Marty Mornhinweg, or a 14-year old kid playing Madden08, had his back turned to the action while calling plays, because as the passes failed for so very many reasons and the run opened up as if Westbrook were playing, the decision makers continued to drop McNabb back to pass and opened him up to a season's worth of abuse that he will need more than just the bye week to recover from. The receivers again disappointed with an effort that saw Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis combine for 38 yards on 5 catches. Correll Buckhalter lead the team in receiving and Brent Celek contributed with 3 grabs for 31 yards. On a positive note, Celek seems to be getting comfortable running his routes and catching the ball over the middle in LJ Smith's absence. Reggie Brown looked as if he overcame his season-long slump when he caught a touchdown from McNabb, wide opened in the corner of the endzone. It was not to be, however, as McNabb had scrambeled past the line of scrimmage before floating the pass into Brown's waiting arms. Brown finished the night with 3 grabs, a season high, bringing his pre-bye week totals to 8 catches for 81 yards and 0 TDs.
Injuries also forced Reno Mahe into service in the offensive backfield and actually picked up a first down on an over the middle turning route. Where the ridiculousness began is when Mahe was left in the backfield as a blocker, while Thomas Tapeh stood on the sidelines, leading to a near crippling sack by (who else?) Osi Umenyiora. While Mahe may serve a purpose on special teams (I don't see it but Andy keeps telling me he does), but to put him on offense as a blocking back is simply ludicrous. In the punt return game Mahe returned three punts for an average of 6 yards and fumbled. If Mahe is going to fumble I don't understand why he is on the roster when this team could use a lot of other things. Another personnel decision that seemed questionable, although didn't hurt the team, minus the only Giants offensive touchdown, was the Sheldon Brown/Plaxico Burress matchup. While it is true offenses often dictate matchups, it just doesn't make sense to put the 5'10" Brown up against Burress' 6'5" 230 pound frame. Will James, (6' 0") was acquired last season to add size to the cornerbacks, so why not line him up in man coverage against Burress and let Brown defend the small and speedy Amani Toomer. James has been forced onto the field because of Lito Sheppard's ankle injury, so why not utilize him in the most effective way? Once again, this match-up didn't lose the game for the Eagles, but it just seems nonsensical.
Penalties were quite problematic for the Eagles last night, as Philadelphia was flagged 15 times for a back-breaking 132 yards. Andy Reid needs to get his team under some semblance of control because the Eagles simply aren't good enough to be giving up 132 yards worth of field position every week. The D-line's aggression has been their reason for success but the offsides need to stop, as do the pass interferences, face masks and the focus penalties: illegal formation, WR false starts, et-cetera.
When the offense isn't producing, special teams needs to step up to ensure the defense is not faced with defending a short field on every possession. Sav Rocca, acclaimed for his cannon-like kicking leg in the pre-season, had 4 punts for a 33.8 average at the half and finished the game with 8 punts for a 36.5 yard average. The defense will not be able to consistently keep opposing offenses off the board when they are starting from near mid-field. Either Rocca needs to find his homerun kicking power he displayed to win the punting job or Dirk Johnson, recently released by the Bengals, should be brought back to the team. If holding for Akers is a great concern I would suggest releasing Reno Mahe to make room for Koy Detmer to hold. The punting games was bad last night and hasn't been very good all season.
I have not yet watched any replays of the game, and all of the analysis above is gut reaction from watching a terrible game on Sunday Night. There is, in all likelihood, a lot more blame to be passed around, but at this point I have neither the time nor the energy to go into the rest. Here's hoping that the bye week gets this team healthy and focused and ready for a late season run. In the mean-time, GO PHILLS!!
Once again, I don't believe the Eagles are as bad as they appeared to be last night, but they are light years behind their week 3 performance in which they scored 56 points and simply dominated. I would first, due mostly to the gleeful mood the Phillies, like to focus on the psitive. It shouldn't take very long and it'll be best to just get it out of the way. The defense. The D gave up only 83 net rushing yards on 27 rushes for an average of 3.1 yards per attempt. Omar Gaither recorded an interception in the red zone and there was even a JEVON KEARSE SIGHTING! That's right, Kearse, who recorded a half sack in week one's loss to Green Bay and no tackles since that game, recorded 3 tackles, including a sack. This brings Kearse's season toals (after 4 games) to an underwhelming 4 tackles, 1.5 sacks. The defense also held Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey to a combined 41 receiving yards on only 5 catches. Beyond the defense, the only bright spot was Correll Buckhalter. With Brian Westbrook sidelined after straining his abdomen while juking out a Lions defender last week, Buckhalter rushed for 103 yards on 17 carries and caught 4 balls for 35 yards. The lone bright-spot on the offense, Buckhalter proved the Eagles offensive strength is running the ball, with or without Westbrook.
Now for the bad. For the readers who do not have much time I suggest going to whatever prior engagment now and returning when there is more time to read. The Eagles looked like my beloved Temple Owls last night, in that there was a lot of bad. As do so many games in the NFL, the game was decided by the battle at the line of scrimmage last night. The offensive line allowed the Giants' defense to pickup a record 12 sacks Sunday night, six of which were by Osi Umenyiora. Matched up against 2006 second-round draft choice Winston Justice, Umenyiora dominated in every way imaginable and beat Justice like he were a criminal. Out with a knee injury, the Artist Formerly Known As 'Tra', William Thomas is the Eagles' best pass-blocker and was desperately missed last night. Although Justice is the top O-line prospect and will probably develop into Kevin Kolb's blind-side protector one day, there should have been a change at half-time when it became obvious he could not contain Umenyiora. Todd Herremans has experience at left tackle and could have been shifted to that position and been replaced at guard by Max Jean-Gilles. This may not have made a difference, but Justice didn't need to be John Madden and Al Michaels' whipping boy once it became clear Umenyiora was too much for Justice. The rest of the o-line wasn't much better but Justice is the goat on this Monday. But it wasn't all the line's fault. They did an excellent job of run-blocking and selling Buckhalter's cutbacks and McNabb's counters and pitch fakes. The playcalling was again Andy-esque, as there were 31 pass plays and only 23 rushes. The net yards per pass play was a mere 0.2 yards, which was actually an overall improvement from the halftime total of -0.4 yards per pass. The rushing plays, however, averaged 5 yards per attempt and accounted for 8 of the Eagles' 16 first downs. Buckhalter alone gained over 100 yards and averaged over 5 yards per carry, and although he lacks Westbrook's explosiveness, was able to rip off several long gains on the ground and warranted more touches. But I suppose that would just make too much sense. It seemed as if Reid, or Marty Mornhinweg, or a 14-year old kid playing Madden08, had his back turned to the action while calling plays, because as the passes failed for so very many reasons and the run opened up as if Westbrook were playing, the decision makers continued to drop McNabb back to pass and opened him up to a season's worth of abuse that he will need more than just the bye week to recover from. The receivers again disappointed with an effort that saw Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis combine for 38 yards on 5 catches. Correll Buckhalter lead the team in receiving and Brent Celek contributed with 3 grabs for 31 yards. On a positive note, Celek seems to be getting comfortable running his routes and catching the ball over the middle in LJ Smith's absence. Reggie Brown looked as if he overcame his season-long slump when he caught a touchdown from McNabb, wide opened in the corner of the endzone. It was not to be, however, as McNabb had scrambeled past the line of scrimmage before floating the pass into Brown's waiting arms. Brown finished the night with 3 grabs, a season high, bringing his pre-bye week totals to 8 catches for 81 yards and 0 TDs.
Injuries also forced Reno Mahe into service in the offensive backfield and actually picked up a first down on an over the middle turning route. Where the ridiculousness began is when Mahe was left in the backfield as a blocker, while Thomas Tapeh stood on the sidelines, leading to a near crippling sack by (who else?) Osi Umenyiora. While Mahe may serve a purpose on special teams (I don't see it but Andy keeps telling me he does), but to put him on offense as a blocking back is simply ludicrous. In the punt return game Mahe returned three punts for an average of 6 yards and fumbled. If Mahe is going to fumble I don't understand why he is on the roster when this team could use a lot of other things. Another personnel decision that seemed questionable, although didn't hurt the team, minus the only Giants offensive touchdown, was the Sheldon Brown/Plaxico Burress matchup. While it is true offenses often dictate matchups, it just doesn't make sense to put the 5'10" Brown up against Burress' 6'5" 230 pound frame. Will James, (6' 0") was acquired last season to add size to the cornerbacks, so why not line him up in man coverage against Burress and let Brown defend the small and speedy Amani Toomer. James has been forced onto the field because of Lito Sheppard's ankle injury, so why not utilize him in the most effective way? Once again, this match-up didn't lose the game for the Eagles, but it just seems nonsensical.
Penalties were quite problematic for the Eagles last night, as Philadelphia was flagged 15 times for a back-breaking 132 yards. Andy Reid needs to get his team under some semblance of control because the Eagles simply aren't good enough to be giving up 132 yards worth of field position every week. The D-line's aggression has been their reason for success but the offsides need to stop, as do the pass interferences, face masks and the focus penalties: illegal formation, WR false starts, et-cetera.
When the offense isn't producing, special teams needs to step up to ensure the defense is not faced with defending a short field on every possession. Sav Rocca, acclaimed for his cannon-like kicking leg in the pre-season, had 4 punts for a 33.8 average at the half and finished the game with 8 punts for a 36.5 yard average. The defense will not be able to consistently keep opposing offenses off the board when they are starting from near mid-field. Either Rocca needs to find his homerun kicking power he displayed to win the punting job or Dirk Johnson, recently released by the Bengals, should be brought back to the team. If holding for Akers is a great concern I would suggest releasing Reno Mahe to make room for Koy Detmer to hold. The punting games was bad last night and hasn't been very good all season.
I have not yet watched any replays of the game, and all of the analysis above is gut reaction from watching a terrible game on Sunday Night. There is, in all likelihood, a lot more blame to be passed around, but at this point I have neither the time nor the energy to go into the rest. Here's hoping that the bye week gets this team healthy and focused and ready for a late season run. In the mean-time, GO PHILLS!!
"Dancin' In The Streets"
Not only is the title of this entry a catchy Van Halen song, but it is also a literal description of the joy taking place up and down Broad Street immediately following today's National League East clinching 6-1 victory over last year's post-season spoiling Washington Nationals. That's right. The Philadelphia Phillies have won the 2007 NL East pennant. Aided by the New York Mets' monumental collapse, the Phills overcame a 4-11 start, injuries that landed 19 of their 25 opening day starters on the DL, 199 Ryan Howard strike-outs, an obviously blind third-base coach, a bullpen seemigly pieced together with toothpicks and bubble-gum, Pat Burrell's mendoza line first half, Adam Eaton's league worst 6.29 ERA, and the heart-breaking memories of "close but no cigar" seasons past, and now wait for Wednesday when either the San Diego Padres or Colorado Rockies will come into Philadelphia for game one of the first playoff baseball series in which the Phillies have been involved since Joe Carter sent a Mitch Williams fastball into Toronto's left field seats to end Philly's World Series hopes 14 years ago.
Anticipation ran throughout Citizens Bank Park, today. The Marlins lead the Mets by a mile before the Phillies even took the field, and for the first time all season, sole possession of the division lead was in sight. Jimmy Rollins electrified the sell-out crowd by leading off the bottom of the first with a single, then proceeding to steal both second and third base and eventually scoring on a Chase Utley sacrifice fly. The Phills never looked back, and now they can look forward to post-season action. The core of this team has never been through the playoffs. Home-grown talents Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Pat Burrell, Shane Victorino, Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Carlos Ruiz and every player who started their careers in Philly have never seen October baseball. Greg Dobbs has never been there. Wes Helms was active for one playoff game with Atlanta, and had no at-bats. Inexperience, however, shouldn't be an issue. Must-win games during the regular season have prepared this team for its playoff run, the same way August and September games aganst the Phillies prepared the Florida Marlins for their 2001 World Series run. Kyle Lohse and Jamie Moyer have both pitched in big spots, as has Tom Gordon, who served as Mariano Rivera's set-up man for years. Aaron Rowand and Tadahito Iguchi won the Wolrd Series with Chicago in 2005. These will be the veterans who guide the young players through this opportunity of a lifetime. Playoff baseball is where legends are made, and now Rollins, Utley, Howard & Co. get a chance to build their legend.
This will be an exciting month. It has been 14 years since playoff baseball was last seen in this city. The players proved over the last month that they are ready for the next step. The fans proved they are ready by providing an undescribable ballpark atmosphere down the stretch, and linng the sides of Broad Street, in parade/festival-like fashion, from Pattison to City Hall on the day of the playoff berth. The playoffs are finally here. Let's savor this, it may not happen every season (or every decade), and let's prove why we are the greatest fans in the country.
Anticipation ran throughout Citizens Bank Park, today. The Marlins lead the Mets by a mile before the Phillies even took the field, and for the first time all season, sole possession of the division lead was in sight. Jimmy Rollins electrified the sell-out crowd by leading off the bottom of the first with a single, then proceeding to steal both second and third base and eventually scoring on a Chase Utley sacrifice fly. The Phills never looked back, and now they can look forward to post-season action. The core of this team has never been through the playoffs. Home-grown talents Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Pat Burrell, Shane Victorino, Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Carlos Ruiz and every player who started their careers in Philly have never seen October baseball. Greg Dobbs has never been there. Wes Helms was active for one playoff game with Atlanta, and had no at-bats. Inexperience, however, shouldn't be an issue. Must-win games during the regular season have prepared this team for its playoff run, the same way August and September games aganst the Phillies prepared the Florida Marlins for their 2001 World Series run. Kyle Lohse and Jamie Moyer have both pitched in big spots, as has Tom Gordon, who served as Mariano Rivera's set-up man for years. Aaron Rowand and Tadahito Iguchi won the Wolrd Series with Chicago in 2005. These will be the veterans who guide the young players through this opportunity of a lifetime. Playoff baseball is where legends are made, and now Rollins, Utley, Howard & Co. get a chance to build their legend.
This will be an exciting month. It has been 14 years since playoff baseball was last seen in this city. The players proved over the last month that they are ready for the next step. The fans proved they are ready by providing an undescribable ballpark atmosphere down the stretch, and linng the sides of Broad Street, in parade/festival-like fashion, from Pattison to City Hall on the day of the playoff berth. The playoffs are finally here. Let's savor this, it may not happen every season (or every decade), and let's prove why we are the greatest fans in the country.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
THESE ARE THE GAMES
These are the games that must be won. The opening game of the final six, all at home, in front of an absolutely electric and rally-towel waving crowd against an Atlanta starting pitcher not named 'Hudson' or 'Smoltz'. Backed into a tie for the National League Wild Card lead after last night's San Diego loss, the Phills can, essentially, control their own destiny by continuing their winning ways. It should be simple, win and you're in. Lose and, as manager Charlie Manuel put it, you don't deserve to make it. But then the game began. The fans were ready, but, as has happened at so many inopportune times this season, the pitching staff was not. 44-year old lefty Jamie Moyer got off to a sluggish start, allowing three runs in the first. The offense, however, showed up. Rollins started the game with his ninth leadoff home run, his 30th of the season. Moyer seemingly settled down after the first, setting Atlanta down in the second and third innings, before giving up another run in the fourth inning. The Phillies offense bailed him out, courtesy of Ryan Howard's 43rd home run of the season, a 2-run shot, and Jayson Werth's solo home run, both in the bottom of the fourth, followed by Burrell's sacrifice fly in the fifth inning, giving the Phills a 5-4 lead heading into the sixth inning, where Moyer and Geoff Geary teamed up to give up four runs, and turn the lead back over to the Braves. Chase Utley hit a solo shot in the seventh, his 22nd, to reduce Atlanta's lead to 8-6 heading into the eighth inning. With the Phillies leading the league in come-from-behind victories, the Braves lead seemed surmountable, to say the least. That is, until Chipper Jones smashed a 2-run home run into right field, his 28th, off of Tom Gordon and iced the game at 10-6.
The way the pitching staff has been pulling rabbits out of hats recently, especially the much meligned bullpen, they had to come up small some time. But that type of thinking simply won't do. If the Phillies hadn't started 3-10, or hadn't lost 2-of-3 to the Kansas City Royalys, or hadn't lost 1-0 to the Padres in the Cole Hamels- Chris Young showdown, and were the wild card leaders, there would be room for "we'll get 'em tomorrow." But not now. The Phills have been chasing all season and don't have any more room for error. It has been a great season, but without a playoff appearance it will be yet another failure.
There are plenty of "shoulda had 'em games". The relief staff has more than 20 blown saves. But these are the games that will be looked back on as the games that made or broke a season. These games, beyond injuries and slumps and bad managing and roster moves, determine whether or not this team is "great" or "underachieving". Aaron Rowand said earlier this week that the "glass is half full." From that approach the Phillies will go 5-0 after tonight's loss and finish with 90 wins, their most since 1993 (97 wins). That is what has to happen, 90 wins and hope the Padres cave under the pressure. The Phills were depending on Houston to lose in 2005 and it didn't happen. The feeling about this team is that "it's different." The heart, the hustle, the clutch hitting, all different. Everything about this 2007 team needs to be different, because if they were the same they would fail. Luck will play a part, but business needs to be taken care of. These are the games that need to be won, because we have lost them too many times before.
The way the pitching staff has been pulling rabbits out of hats recently, especially the much meligned bullpen, they had to come up small some time. But that type of thinking simply won't do. If the Phillies hadn't started 3-10, or hadn't lost 2-of-3 to the Kansas City Royalys, or hadn't lost 1-0 to the Padres in the Cole Hamels- Chris Young showdown, and were the wild card leaders, there would be room for "we'll get 'em tomorrow." But not now. The Phills have been chasing all season and don't have any more room for error. It has been a great season, but without a playoff appearance it will be yet another failure.
There are plenty of "shoulda had 'em games". The relief staff has more than 20 blown saves. But these are the games that will be looked back on as the games that made or broke a season. These games, beyond injuries and slumps and bad managing and roster moves, determine whether or not this team is "great" or "underachieving". Aaron Rowand said earlier this week that the "glass is half full." From that approach the Phillies will go 5-0 after tonight's loss and finish with 90 wins, their most since 1993 (97 wins). That is what has to happen, 90 wins and hope the Padres cave under the pressure. The Phills were depending on Houston to lose in 2005 and it didn't happen. The feeling about this team is that "it's different." The heart, the hustle, the clutch hitting, all different. Everything about this 2007 team needs to be different, because if they were the same they would fail. Luck will play a part, but business needs to be taken care of. These are the games that need to be won, because we have lost them too many times before.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Eagles Dominant, But Many Questions Still Unanswered
And just like that order has been restored in Philadelphia. . . As far as the Eagles are concerned, at least. Donovan McNabb, fresh off of his latest controversy-sparking comments regarding the treatment of black quarterbacks in the NFL, silenced critics and fans (many of whom booed upon hearing McNabb's name announced in the pre-game introductions) by completing 21 of his 26 pass attempts for 381 yards and 4 touchdowns, which netted him a perfect QB Rating of 158.3 (note: if anybody on this planet knows how to caculate the QB rating please let me know, for I am clueless). 3 of McNabb's TD throws went to Kevis Curtis, the "big-ticket" free agent receiver who, until today, had not put to rest the skepticism of his ability to be an outside receiver after playing in the slot and being the third or fourth option in St. Louis for the beginning of his career. Curtis put up single game career highs in receptions, with 11, and yards, with a gaudy 221. Brian Westbrook was a fantasy league all-star as well, today, complining 110 rushing yards on 14 carries, and 111 receiving yards on 5 catches, and racked up 3 touchdowns (2 rushing, 1 receiving). Tony Hunt also scored his first career touchdown with a goal-line handoff, and Correll Buckhalter scored in the same fashion. Not to be outdone, and despite allowing Jon Kitna to pass for 446 yards, the defense played exceptionally well, especially considering the high-powered potential of Detriot's offense and missing Pro Bowl defensive backs Lito Sheppard and Brian Dawkins. Quinton Mikell stepped in for Dawkins and played like Weapon-X himself, recording a sack and roaming the secondary with the skill and confidence one would expect from number 20. William James had the un-enviable task of covering Roy Williams and didn't play great, but Williams is an all-star and the D-Line provided enough pressure to ensure missing Sheppard wouldn't doom the Eagles to an 0-3 start. Leading the defensive line was Trent Cole, who notched 3 of the defense's 9 sacks. Juqua Thomas and Brodrick Bunkley also dragged Kitna down two times a piece. Thomas and Cole also forced fumbles, Thomas recovered his own and Quinton Mikell recovered Cole's, and Sean Considine made a spectacular play, intercepting a Kitna pass in the back of the endzone and dragging both feet to stay in bounds, to win the turnover battle 3-2. So after the subpar efforts in Green Bay and at home, on Monday Night Football, against Washington, the Eagles seemed to have returned to an elite level, and it is not yet time to burn our McNabb jerseys or hang Coach Reid by the wires of his headset. Yes, I was a part of the euphoria today, sincerely shouting "14-2!" while walking out of the Linc and through the patking lot between chants of "E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!" but as the excitement of today's 56-21 victory subsides, and players, coaches and fans begin preparing for a showdown with the 1-2 Giants in the Meadowlands, a sense of reality must set in.
While I hate to be the snowball that pelts Santa Claus, there are still plenty of questions about this team moving forward. 1) Will the offense continue to set the tone by running early, and fueling the passing game with effective play-action? I sure hope so. Westbrook averaged almost 8 yards per carry against Detroit and has been the only sort of consistency this offense has seen, both this season and last. Buckhalter also made use of his carries today, and rookie Tony Hunt scored. It's also good to see Thomas Tapeh getting involved a little each week, the fullback is a dying breed, but can be an effective part of this offense. History says that if Reid is in charge of this offense, which seemed to be the case in weeks one and two, McNabb will be dropping back more than anyone else thinks he should be, whether hes 100%, 85% or 60% healthy. If "Big Red" hands over the play-caling duties as he did last season and seemed to do today, balance will be restored and every faze of the offense will be better. If Westbrook's knee injury from week two or this week's rib injury limit Westbrook's availabitlity in anyway, expect an askew pass-run ratio reminiscent of 2005. 2) Are the wide receivers any good? After watching Brown, Curtis and company do their best impressions on Todd Pinkston and James Thrah from the 2003 NFC Championship game in the first two weeks of the season, the coaches decided it was time to find ways to force the wide-outs to get opened. Against Detroit, there was finally motion among the receivers, allowing them cleaner breaks off the line ensuring McNabb would not have to hold on to the ball waiting for anybody to break free. Screen and swing passes were called, not only to Westbrook, but to Curtis as well, allowing both to use their superior speed to get to the second and third levels and busting big gains. Play-action was also a factor, thanks to the offense's re-commitment to the run. If this continues the receivers should continue to produce. 3) Where is Reggie Brown (really an extension of question 2)? While Curtis exploded for a T.O.-like performance against the Lions, and Avant has been a consistent slot receiver through three weeks, Reggie Brown seems to be digressing in his development as a "stud" receiver, catching 2 balls today for 23 yards, bring his season totals to an underwhelming 5 receptions for 64 yards and no touchdowns. After the entire receiving corps failed to beat tight, press coverage over the first two weeks, the Lions, inexplicably, ran zone coverages almost exclusively, allowing McNabb and the offense to roll them over. That is, except Reggie Brown, who still seemed to have trouble finding open space in the wide-open plain that was Lincoln Financial Field, today. Brown has good speed and excels at breaking tackles and gaining yards after catch, and after over-coming a mid-season case of the drops last season, was a key part to the Eagles late NFC East winning charge. After today's performance, Kevin Curtis should be drawing a lot of double coverage and Brian Westbrook always draws a lot of defensive attention.Andy Reid has been criticized for never developing any of his drafted receivers into stars, and it seems his latest project has stalled out as well. With LJ Smith out recovering from surgery for an undetermined amount of time, Brown NEEDS to step up in a big way. 4) Will LJ Smith return to the line-up any time soon? Despite the holes in his game, Smith is a big, fast, difference making tight end who takes a lot of heat off of the receivers and running backs by drawing a lot of the defense's attention. His unique size and abilities require corners and saftetis in coverage, which leaves the outside receivers in single coverage, and many times leaves a linebacker to try and cover the ever speedy and allusive Westbrook. Tight ends are intrical to the success of McNabb and the offense, and while Schobel is a strong second option, he lacks the pure athleticism of Smith. Brent Celek will, in all likelihood, replace Smith next season, but a rookie has never excelled under Andy Reid, and somebody with so little experience cannot be expected to help carry an offense. The passing game's success over the course of this season depends on Smith's return. 5) Will this defense hold up? After being beaten down repeatedly last season both by opposing offenses, who gained 2,182 rushing yards, and a quick strike offense that rarely held the ball long enough to give its own defense a rest, the D is back and looking even better than its 2004 version. While the offense stumbled through the first two weeks, the defense has held opponents to only 71.7 rush yards per game, good enough for third best in the league, and 19 points per game, which is the fifth best in the league. If pass-rushing ends Cole, Thomas and Jevon Kearse hold up, along with young tackles Bunkley and Mike Patterson, the yes, this defense will be a force. If the line continues to create the pressure it did against Detroit (who gave up the most sacks in the league in 2006) it will free up Takeo Spikes and the linebacking corps to shut down the run, as well as give less time for receivers to break away from the corners, which will ensure fewer big plays from opposing receivers, and more big plays from the likes of Sheppard, Dawkins and Co. If the line does get worn down (often a product of unbalanced time of possession) the defense will be susceptible to back-breaking drives, much like the drives displayed by New Orleans in their two victories over the Eagles last season. 6) Finally, was McNabb's performance against the Lions an epiphany or aberration? Through two weeks McNabb could not have looked worse. His timing was way off, he was hesitant, he pissed off an entire city by playing the race card and his receivers really weren't doing him any favors. He was booed heavily in the home-opener and again during his introduction today. Then, McNabb seemed to return to prime form by torching the Detroit defense for nearly 400 yards. If this is the return of the Donovan who can make any throw then the offense could very well continue to put up Cincinnati-like stats, especially if it remains balanced. A healthy McNabb, confident in his and his targets' abilities equals, at the very least, an appearance in the NFC Championship. That is what history says. If McNabb has truly declined, and the performances from weeks 1 and 2 were a reflection of his age and laundry-list of injuries and not simply rust from being off for the past nine months, this will be a long season, and McNabb's last in Philly.
As you read this, please, do not lose faith. However, please take the incredible performance by our beloved Birds in stride. They are not as good as the appeared to be against the Lions. Nor are they as inept as they appeared against the Packers and 'Skins. There are 13 games left. The schedule gets no easier. This is going to be a hard fought season. Trips to all division rivals still await, as well as to Foxborough and New Orleans. The Bears and their punishing defense will come in to the Linc, as do the find-any-way-to-win Seattle Seahawks. The momentum and confidence built off of today's victory have poised the Eagles to dig themselves out of the 0-2 hole they have dug for themselves, just as they did in 2004. While stringing together nine straight victories may not be a feasable expectation, this team showed a lot today both in the way it came out firing and the way it continued to apply the pressure and finish the game, a characteristic the Eagles lacked last season, and will go a long way in determining the fate of this team. Heart will play a big role in the outcome of this Eagles team, but the questions posed above need answering, on the field. The answers of these questions will determine just how far the 2007 Philadelphia Eagles can go, and also just how much tenure is left on the McNabb/Reid era.
While I hate to be the snowball that pelts Santa Claus, there are still plenty of questions about this team moving forward. 1) Will the offense continue to set the tone by running early, and fueling the passing game with effective play-action? I sure hope so. Westbrook averaged almost 8 yards per carry against Detroit and has been the only sort of consistency this offense has seen, both this season and last. Buckhalter also made use of his carries today, and rookie Tony Hunt scored. It's also good to see Thomas Tapeh getting involved a little each week, the fullback is a dying breed, but can be an effective part of this offense. History says that if Reid is in charge of this offense, which seemed to be the case in weeks one and two, McNabb will be dropping back more than anyone else thinks he should be, whether hes 100%, 85% or 60% healthy. If "Big Red" hands over the play-caling duties as he did last season and seemed to do today, balance will be restored and every faze of the offense will be better. If Westbrook's knee injury from week two or this week's rib injury limit Westbrook's availabitlity in anyway, expect an askew pass-run ratio reminiscent of 2005. 2) Are the wide receivers any good? After watching Brown, Curtis and company do their best impressions on Todd Pinkston and James Thrah from the 2003 NFC Championship game in the first two weeks of the season, the coaches decided it was time to find ways to force the wide-outs to get opened. Against Detroit, there was finally motion among the receivers, allowing them cleaner breaks off the line ensuring McNabb would not have to hold on to the ball waiting for anybody to break free. Screen and swing passes were called, not only to Westbrook, but to Curtis as well, allowing both to use their superior speed to get to the second and third levels and busting big gains. Play-action was also a factor, thanks to the offense's re-commitment to the run. If this continues the receivers should continue to produce. 3) Where is Reggie Brown (really an extension of question 2)? While Curtis exploded for a T.O.-like performance against the Lions, and Avant has been a consistent slot receiver through three weeks, Reggie Brown seems to be digressing in his development as a "stud" receiver, catching 2 balls today for 23 yards, bring his season totals to an underwhelming 5 receptions for 64 yards and no touchdowns. After the entire receiving corps failed to beat tight, press coverage over the first two weeks, the Lions, inexplicably, ran zone coverages almost exclusively, allowing McNabb and the offense to roll them over. That is, except Reggie Brown, who still seemed to have trouble finding open space in the wide-open plain that was Lincoln Financial Field, today. Brown has good speed and excels at breaking tackles and gaining yards after catch, and after over-coming a mid-season case of the drops last season, was a key part to the Eagles late NFC East winning charge. After today's performance, Kevin Curtis should be drawing a lot of double coverage and Brian Westbrook always draws a lot of defensive attention.Andy Reid has been criticized for never developing any of his drafted receivers into stars, and it seems his latest project has stalled out as well. With LJ Smith out recovering from surgery for an undetermined amount of time, Brown NEEDS to step up in a big way. 4) Will LJ Smith return to the line-up any time soon? Despite the holes in his game, Smith is a big, fast, difference making tight end who takes a lot of heat off of the receivers and running backs by drawing a lot of the defense's attention. His unique size and abilities require corners and saftetis in coverage, which leaves the outside receivers in single coverage, and many times leaves a linebacker to try and cover the ever speedy and allusive Westbrook. Tight ends are intrical to the success of McNabb and the offense, and while Schobel is a strong second option, he lacks the pure athleticism of Smith. Brent Celek will, in all likelihood, replace Smith next season, but a rookie has never excelled under Andy Reid, and somebody with so little experience cannot be expected to help carry an offense. The passing game's success over the course of this season depends on Smith's return. 5) Will this defense hold up? After being beaten down repeatedly last season both by opposing offenses, who gained 2,182 rushing yards, and a quick strike offense that rarely held the ball long enough to give its own defense a rest, the D is back and looking even better than its 2004 version. While the offense stumbled through the first two weeks, the defense has held opponents to only 71.7 rush yards per game, good enough for third best in the league, and 19 points per game, which is the fifth best in the league. If pass-rushing ends Cole, Thomas and Jevon Kearse hold up, along with young tackles Bunkley and Mike Patterson, the yes, this defense will be a force. If the line continues to create the pressure it did against Detroit (who gave up the most sacks in the league in 2006) it will free up Takeo Spikes and the linebacking corps to shut down the run, as well as give less time for receivers to break away from the corners, which will ensure fewer big plays from opposing receivers, and more big plays from the likes of Sheppard, Dawkins and Co. If the line does get worn down (often a product of unbalanced time of possession) the defense will be susceptible to back-breaking drives, much like the drives displayed by New Orleans in their two victories over the Eagles last season. 6) Finally, was McNabb's performance against the Lions an epiphany or aberration? Through two weeks McNabb could not have looked worse. His timing was way off, he was hesitant, he pissed off an entire city by playing the race card and his receivers really weren't doing him any favors. He was booed heavily in the home-opener and again during his introduction today. Then, McNabb seemed to return to prime form by torching the Detroit defense for nearly 400 yards. If this is the return of the Donovan who can make any throw then the offense could very well continue to put up Cincinnati-like stats, especially if it remains balanced. A healthy McNabb, confident in his and his targets' abilities equals, at the very least, an appearance in the NFC Championship. That is what history says. If McNabb has truly declined, and the performances from weeks 1 and 2 were a reflection of his age and laundry-list of injuries and not simply rust from being off for the past nine months, this will be a long season, and McNabb's last in Philly.
As you read this, please, do not lose faith. However, please take the incredible performance by our beloved Birds in stride. They are not as good as the appeared to be against the Lions. Nor are they as inept as they appeared against the Packers and 'Skins. There are 13 games left. The schedule gets no easier. This is going to be a hard fought season. Trips to all division rivals still await, as well as to Foxborough and New Orleans. The Bears and their punishing defense will come in to the Linc, as do the find-any-way-to-win Seattle Seahawks. The momentum and confidence built off of today's victory have poised the Eagles to dig themselves out of the 0-2 hole they have dug for themselves, just as they did in 2004. While stringing together nine straight victories may not be a feasable expectation, this team showed a lot today both in the way it came out firing and the way it continued to apply the pressure and finish the game, a characteristic the Eagles lacked last season, and will go a long way in determining the fate of this team. Heart will play a big role in the outcome of this Eagles team, but the questions posed above need answering, on the field. The answers of these questions will determine just how far the 2007 Philadelphia Eagles can go, and also just how much tenure is left on the McNabb/Reid era.
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