Monday Morning Glory

Fly Eagles, Fly. On the road to victory.
Fly Eagles, Fly. Score a touchdown 1,23.

Good Monday morning, and welcome to a glorious day after a win post. I was fortunate enough to attend yesterdays, dismantling of the St. Louis Rams 38-3. It was such an awesome site, and the exactly what the Eagles, and the city of Philadelphia needed to see yesterday. It's a great game in Philly, when the only thing the "Boo Birds" have as ammunition, is the fact we gave up a field goal late in the 4th, and lost the shutout. So, let's talk Eagles.
Receiving:
DeSean Jackson shouldn't be annointed as our savior, but he is making a strong case for himself. Jackson caught 6 passes for 106 yards, and an additional 97 yards returning points. Which included one for 60 yards, that was close to being a touchdown. He stepped in yesterday, and met the expectations of the Eagles, and the crowd. Although this was just his first game, against a sub-par team, Jackson performed admirably. Next week's Monday Night battle with Dallas, will be a more challenging test.

Not falling too far from the Jackson tree, the other Eagles' receivers stepped up as well. Hank Baskett had 2 catches for 102 yards, and a touchdown. Greg Lewis had 104 yards receiving too. In total 8 players had receptions. This is important, when a team doesn't have one go-to-guy at receiver. Everyone is going to have to chip in, and yesterday they did.

A point of displeasure was L.J. Smith (according to some accounts), but certainly not mine. He had 5 receptions for 39 yards, and a tough Touchdown grab in the first quarter. Stonehands? I think not. He did drop a shovel-esque pass in the endzone, but I didn't think that he did a bad job.
Passing:
Behind every good pass, there is a good quarterback. Donovan McNabb, was great!!!! Top passer for the week with 361 yards passing, completing 21 of 33 passing attempts, 3 touchdowns, and a QB rating of 131. He hit his receivers in stride, and looked nimble in the pocket. Donovan looks like he's ready to be our quarterback, and I'm ready for him to do that too!
Running:
Brian Westbrook looked good as always, claiming 91 yards rushing on 19 attempts, and 2 touchdowns (1 receiving). Tony Hunt scored on 1 yard run in the 3rd. Booker added 9 yards, and Buckhalter had 5 yards.
O-Line:
The Eagles offensive line kept McNabb upright, and opened holes for Westrbook, There is little more that one could ask for. They did a good job, and receive a gold star next to each of the names.
Defense:
They looked marvelous. We held the Rams to 166 total yards, and only gave up 3 points, while recording 4 sacks. The secondary was batting passes down, and Steven Jackson was held to 40 yards rushing for the game. We got great play from every position on the field. Although we didn't have any turnovers (which has been a point of focus), we didn't need them. We stopped every Rams drive, before they even got started.
Summation:
The Eagles looked good on both sides of the ball yesterday. The Eagles attack was a balanced one. The Defense was aggressive. The Rams performance was lack-luster at best. The Eagles took them out of their game early, and they never made an attempt to get back in it either. We have got a big test coming next week. It's against our division rival Cowboys. We'll talk more on our Monday night showdown later.

Around the league:
The road to glory has just taken a turn through disasterville. What some saw as a dirty play, everyone saw as the end. Tom Brady's knee is the hot topic of today. Leaving the game, and not returning has got everyone buzzing. Waiting to hear the results of his MRI. If the injury is season ending, then a world of possibility could blossom forth. Losing the Patriots posterboy for the season could lead to missing the playoffs. What we know for certain is this: Matt Cassel isn't a backup quarterback. He's a backup's backup. If Brady's injury ends his season, Matt Cassel will still be on clipboard, and jock-strap duties. During the Football Night in America broadcast, Peter King talked about how devestating Tom Brady's injury was to the NFL!!! This gets my Ire. Yes, he's a great quarterback, posterboy for the NFL, and the leader of the Patriots. However, if Tom Brady is indeed done for the year, the NFL is not going to collapse. The world will not end.

I have a fever, and the only cure is. More Highlights. Last night Football Night in America became the show to watch. Why? Because, they have all the highlights. Profootballtalk.com compared Football Night in America with ESPN, and came to the conclusion that it was better, but needed more highlights. I wasn't all that impressed. I'll watch, because I want to see hightlights, but the show itself seems chaotic. There was a lot take in during the broadcast. The show just had too many people, in too many places on the same set for liking. Up top you had the line up of Keith Oberlman, Dan Patrick, Bob Costas, and sometimes Peter King. Then at a table below you had Jerome Bettis, Tiki Barber, and Chris Collinsworth as the mediator. Interesting note: Shawn Merriman played only 2 downs.

Jake Delhomme spent the summer under John Elway's tutelage, and subsequently mastered the 4th quarter comeback. Scoring the game winning touchdown as time expires, it doesn't get much better than that.

Marion Barber III bangs up ribs, in win over the Browns. This is a serious issue for a guy who's running style is that of bull. Although according to ESPN's sources, the ribs are not broken. He's got a full week to rest up for the Monday night's showdown with the Eagles. It would be to the Eagles benefit if Barber is limited or unable to play. That doesn't mean that the Cowboys running game will vanish. Rookie Felix Jones can step up, and keep their running game alive, and well.


That's it for now. Don't forget about tonight's Monday Night Double-Header.





GO BIRDS!!!

Monday Morning Quaterback

I really wasn't able to watch the game in it's entirety, and thus am unable to give any real substantiative perspective. However, from the what I have read, and the little bit that I was able to watch, it was a solid performance. The Eagles defeated the Patriots 27-17.

Special teams looked good. Demps returned a kickoff for a touch down. Jackson took a punt return to the house too.

We didn't look bad on offense. Jason Avant caught a 7 yard TD pass from McNabb. Donovan looked good. DeSean Jackson had 4 catches for 67 yards. All of the receivers contributed equally.

In some related Birds news:
Winston Justice is a Voodoo Priest, and knows a little about the Voodoo Doll!
Eagles cut their roster to 77.

Go Birds!!

What to watch for

Tonight we take on the the Cheat (I mean Patriots) at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. Usually week 3 and 4 of the preseason are reserved for guys trying to make the rosters, and not all that interesting to watch. However in this match up there is reason.


Tony Hunt is going to play fullback. A converted halfback with just a week of practice under his belt will be starting. Donovan had better be light on his feet, if Hunt's pass protection isn't there.

Receivers, Receivers, and more Receivers. With Reggie Brown not playing due to a Hamstring injury 2nd round pick DeSean Jackson is getting the nod. The guy has been impressive so far. Let's see if that continues to be the case tonight. He's going up against the starters, and is going to have a lot more on his plate. Then there is the juggling act that is Greg Lewis and Hank Baskett. They are going to filling in for the herniated Kevin Curtis. They are going to step up in a big way, and it needs to start right now!

There could be a "Big Kid" Shawn Andrews sighting. Andrews has missed a lot of practice time due to his depression. Now he's going to be playing conditioning catch up. Hopefully tonight he'll look close to being ready for opening day.

Last, but definitely not least look for Heather Mitts! She's hot, and a Gold medalist. Hopefully she'll bring her friend, Teammate, and smiter of Greg Ryan. Not sure if "smiter" is even an actual word, but who cares.

Be on the look out for Tom Brady. Actually, just bo on the look out for his girlfriend. Apparently he doesn't do preseason.

Monday will be the recap. Until then, Stay Frosty.

No use crying over spilled chowder (or Super Bowls)

"Cease and Decist this douchebaggery"
To the Chowder Heads who came up with this, and those who advocate it, I have one request... Re-enact the Boston Tea Party, and throw yourselves in!!!

You have got to be kidding... What possible vindication will you receive from this? No, Commissioner Goodell is not going to have the Giants, and Patriots replay the last 1:40 seconds of Super Bowl XLII. You Lost.... Accept it.... Take the advice of your beloved amoral coach, and move on! Focus on the next game. Roger Goodell already gave you the gift of destroying all the spygate tapes, and now you are asking for more? Boston has plenty of positives going for them as we speak.

1. The Boston Celtics are not the laughing stock of the NBA. They are 39-9, and quite possibly the next NBA champions.

2. The Boston Bruins are 55-28-22.

3. You need rest up. Baseball is vastly approaching. You will need all your strength to bitch and moan about the Yankees, and how much better you are.

Good looking out to my Steeler in Hoboken Cotter.
Sign this petition instead


The Line in the Sand

Glorius

I am glad that the New England Patriots did not win Super Bowl XLII!!!!! I have a number of reasons for taking this stance. The Patriots are considered to be a dynasty. The Patriots are considered to be the model franchise in the NFL, but that is not the case at all. They are no better than any of the other 31 organizations in the NFL.

Bill Belichick, there is no argument that can be made against him being a football savant. However he appears to be void of conscience or sportsmanship. Belichick is a cheater! He has been warned by the league about video taping opponents prior to Spygate. Once the accusations by Jets had been confirmed, he appeared totally unapologetic. He claimed that he was within the constraints of rule based on his interpretation. He did not acknowledge that he got caught cheating. Now there are allegations that he video taped the pre-game walk through of the rams before they met in the Super Bowl. To go along with that Commissioner Goodell has a sworn affidavit from Belichick that he turned over all possible video evidence of misconduct to the league. It seems clear to me that he is of questionable principles, and that this new allegation is not a far stretch, and quite possibly true. With the Spygate chip on his shoulder he proceeded to destroy competition, which in itself is not a bad thing (I wish the Eagles could put up points like that). The issue is within running up the score. It's fourth down, you are in field goal range, up by an insurmountable lead, and you leave your offense on the field to go for it. Then you justify this action by saying that you'd rather go for it, and make them stop you, then kick the field goal. At this time I would like to point out that this man is calculating. This man ingeniously took a safety to get better field position to win a game. In the third quarter of the Patriots week nine game against the Colts he sent out Stephan Gostkowski to kick a 34 yard field goal. Why didn't he go for it then? Then you have him leaving the field before the Super Bowl was officially over. Of course you were disappointed. Who wouldn't be after going undefeated all season, and then losing the game that matters the most. You ran out shook hands, but failed to notice that your team, and the coaching staff weren't behind you. As a head coach you are supposed to set the example for your team. That is not the example that should be set by a team that is considered to be the model that every other franchise should strive to achieve!

Don't forget about the players. New England is hailed for their personnel. Rodney Harrison tested positive for a band substance. He is a defensive captain. Aren't captains supposed to be leaders in what they say, and what they do? Moving along there is Vincent Wilfork (Dirty Player). He has received a number of fines from the league for unnecessary conduct. The most recent events involved him grabbing Michael Turner by the face mask, and poking Brandon Jacobs in the eye. The eye gouge could not even be construed as accidental. Jacobs, and Wilfork were jawing with one another after a play, when he just shoved his fingers into Jacob's face mask. Richard Seymour was shown bumping into Philip Rivers after the play was dead during the AFC championship game. Perhaps River's exaggerated the bump by falling down, but there is no justifiable reason for contact after the play. Then just like every other team in the league they have the off the field player problems. Defensive Back Willie Andrews was arrested for Possession with the intent to distribute.

How does this behavior not reflect directly upon a team that is heralded for what they represent? For one reason or another people dismiss these issues, and still hold the team above all others.

A few side notes:
Kudos to Randy Moss for making me a believer. You aren't a waste of athletic talent!
Wes Welker you can come and play for the Eagles any day.
Tom Brady I am sure you will get your 4th ring, but to comfort you until then, Your girlfriend is hot!
Sen. Arlen Specter, and the rest of his cronies. Stay the F*@%! out of sports. Let them handle there own dirty laundry.

The Immortal Silky Johnson