Eagles Bears Pt. 2

We’re heading into week 4 of the season, and the Eagles will travel to the “Windy City” to face the Chicago Bears. We looked at how the Bears Offense will match up against the Eagles defense. Now let’s observe the other side of the coin, Eagles offense, Bears defense.
The Eagles got banged up a little in week 3 against the Steelers, and that could have an impact on how the Eagles attack the Bears’ defense. Here are the keys for the Eagles offense. First the Eagles have to protect Donovan McNabb. The backups are going to have to bring there “A” game. Lastly, the tight ends need to establish their presence in the passing game.
Everyone knows that the Eagles are going to throw the football more times than not. So naturally, the offensive line needs to protect the quarterback. This is especially import this week because of McNabb’s chest injury. When he returned to last weeks game you could see that his chest was hurting him, and affected his throw. The offensive must maintain the pocket, and keep the Bears from taking shots. Jon Runyan, Max Jean-Gilles, Jamaal Jackson, Todd Herremans, and William Thomas need to keep the pocket in tact for the entire play. If the pocket breaks down, Donovan will take some unnecessary hits as he steps up towards the line of scrimmage, or out of the pocket.
As mentioned before the Eagles will be going into this week’s game banged up. Donovan McNabb has not practiced all week because of a chest contusion. Shawn Andrews missed the Steelers game with a lower back injury, and probably won’t play against the Bears. Brian Westbrook suffered an ankle sprain, and is listed as day-to-day. L.J. Smith has practiced this week either, because of a lower back injury. And to wrap it up, Tony Hunt suffered a concussion last week. Of the 5 players named, McNabb and Hunt are the only two that are definite for the game on Sunday. This means that some guys are going to have to step up. Correll Buckhalter took over for Westbrook after he left the Steelers game, and he filled in perfectly. Buckhalter racked up 87 all purpose yards (43 rushing, 44 receiving) on his way to scoring the games only touchdown. He will need to do more of the same against the Bears. Lorenzo Booker will need to step up as well. 16 all purpose yards are not enough. Even if Westbrook is able to play (highly unlikely), he will be limited, so Buckhalter and Booker will be vital to moving the ball. Max Jean-Gilles had to fill in for Shawn Andrews last week, and Max did a good job. He will be tested this week, as he will be facing Tommie Harris. Nick Cole could see some action at center, because of a quadriceps injury that is bothering Jamaal Jackson. Brent Celek could be seeing more time this week if L.J. Smith is limited, or out. Although he has not seen many passes come his way this season, Celek needs to make the most of the ones he does see.
Against cover two defenses there are always going to up openings in the seam, and that is a perfect place for our tight ends to sit down in. Brent Celek and L.J. Smith could receive more looks this week against the Bears Tampa 2 defense, and they have to capitalize on them. If Celek and Smith can makes plays, they will keep drives going, and be a huge threat in the red zone. L.J. has taken a lot of heat from the fans for his performance so far, and Celek hasn’t gotten that many looks. If Donovan’s chest is still sore on game day, he may not be able to make all the deeper throws. That could mean that the ball will be thrown their way.
The Bears use a Tampa 2 defensive scheme, which means that the Eagles will not see a lot of blitzing. In 2008 the Bears are giving up 174.7 yards a game through the air, and 152 on the ground, but that doesn’t mean that they are to be underestimated. They are strong defense, and have the ability to control the speed, and flow of the game. The keys for the bears will be to get to the quarterback, Disrupt the timing and route running of the receivers, and create turnovers.
As mentioned before the Eagles won’t see constant blitzing, so the Bears defensive line will be primarily responsible for creating most of the pressure on McNabb. Not to oversimplify things, but the Bears will probably test the abilities of Max Jean-Gilles, Jamaal Jackson, and Nick Cole based on injury and experience. The Bears’ front four will be attacking the Eagles’ offensive line on every play. If they can get to McNabb they will force either to step up and take excessive hits, or make errant throws that the Bears linebackers and secondary will capitalize on.
The second for the Bears will be to disrupt the route running, and timing of the Eagles Receivers. Probably the best way for them to do is to be physical. The Bears secondary are made up of solid tacklers that have good size. By bumping the receivers off their routes the Bears will disrupt the timing between McNabb and his receivers. If the Eagles receivers are able to get into their routes they can expect some big hits as they try to make the catch.
The final key for the Bears is to create turnovers. If the Bears’ front four put pressure on McNabb, and he doesn’t get enough on the ball, Hunter Hillenmeyer and Lance Briggs will be stepping right into the passing lane to pick it off. While Hillenmeyer and Briggs are covering the hash marks to the sidelines, Brian Urlacher will be covering everything in between. They are big, and fast. They will step into passing lanes to make the pick, or level big hits, and force fumbles. All the while they still have help at the next level. Like the linebackers the Bears’ secondary are waiting to make the tackle, force a fumble, or make the interception. They will always have help over the top, which gives them the ability to take chances and make plays. The Bears offense relies heavily on the defense to give them the best possible field position.
The Bears defense has fallen on tough times over the past two years, but they are defense that are still strong and reliable. They cannot be underestimated, because they can, and will capitalize on mistakes. The Eagles have some injuries, and need to have some players make a big statement on Sunday. I think that the Eagles will be able to capitalize on the Bears’ zone coverage, but they aren’t going to put up offensive numbers like they did in the first 2 games. I feel confident we’ll come out on top though.

Thoughts?

GO BIRDS!!!!!

Eagles vs. Bears

We're heading into week 4 of the season, and the Eagles will travel to the Windy City to face the Chicago Bears. Let's look at the matchup, Bears offense, Eagles defense.
In order for the Bears offense to be successful, they need run the football successfully. The responsibility falls on the shoulders of their offensive line, and their running backs. With just having played 3 games this season the Bears have run for 456 yards on 105 attempts (4.3 yards/carry average). This would indicate that the offensive line is doing a good job opening holes for the running. Of the 105 attempts, rookie Matt Forte has taken 73 of them, and gained 304 yards on the ground, and is 4th overall in rushing. In addition Forte has caught 13 passes for 105 yards. Behind Forte, the Bears have former Detroit Lion Kevin Jones, Garrett Wolfe, and Adrian Peterson. Kevin Jones could be a good compliment to Forte, provided that his foot has healed after suffering a Liz Frank fracture. Garrett Wolfe is a change of pace back, but is undersized.
If the Bears are able to rush for 100 yards or more per game, they will make Kyle Orton's job of managing the football game much easier. The Bears aren't relying on Kyle Orton to win football games. They are relying on him no to lose them. In order for Kyle to manage the game effectively he needs his offensive line to protect him, the running game to be productive, and his receivers to get open. The offensive line needs to give him time to make his reads. If the running game is working that will alleviate some of the pass rush, and setup up the play action pass. The key for Orton will be time. The more time he has, the better decision he should be able to make.
The Bears' wide receiving corps isn't star studded by any stretch of the imagination. They don't have a great deal of size. Their biggest receiver is 10 year veteran Marty Booker (6'0", 205lbs). The Bears are converting Devin Hester from defensive back to receiver, but is a work in progress. Not too mention he's injured as well. Brandon Lloyd is their leading receiver, but has been a castoff from 2 other teams for under performance. But the Bears do have two solid tight ends in Desmond Clark, and Greg Olsen. Orton has made a lot of check downs, and thrown to the back. Forte is 2nd on the team with 13 receptions.
The keys for the Bears are to continue to run the football, protect Kyle Orton, play turnover free football, and make plays. The biggest thing for the Bears right now is their pass protection. Orton needs enough time to make a good decision, and to avoid throwing errors.
On the other side of the ball is the Eagles defense, and there is no indication that this matchup doesn't favor the Eagles. The keys for the Eagles will be to stop the run, and put pressure on the quarterback.
The Eagles are doing everything right against the run. Through three games Jim Johnson's boys have on average only given up 45.7 yards on the ground. The Eagles defensive line is undersized compared when matched up against the Bears offensive line, but we held the Cowboys to 73 rushing yards, and their offensive line dwarfs that of the Bears. The Eagles front four will need to tie up their blockers, and allow the linebackers to to get to the ball carrier as they have been doing so far.
If the Eagles are able to put a stranglehold on the Bears running game, you can expect Jim Johnson to open the floodgates, and blitz Kyle Orton unmercifully. I can't imagine Lovie Smith abandoning the running to game, and rely on Orton to sling the ball all over the field. The Eagles will need to get pressure on Orton in passing situations. If the Eagles can put pressure on Orton, then our secondary should have a field day picking off errant throws. With our secondary being as good as it is, expect to see some coverage sacks this week.
The Eagles defense has a clear advantage here over the Bears offense. I don't think that we'll get 9 sacks this week, but we will get some. Expect to see more turnovers than in previous weeks. My only concern will be: If Matt Forte is in man coverage with one of our linebackers. We have seen them get burned.

thoughts?

GO BIRDS!!!!

Jim Johnson visits Sesame Street

It's time for the Eagles recap. Let's took a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly (injuries) for the "Battle of PA." Yesterday's 15-6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers was a must win. Not because of standings, both the Giants and Cowboys are 3-0. It was a must win, because we needed to bounce back from last week's loss, to play another very good team. Losing this game could have put us in an aweful place (last in the NFC East).



The Eagles defense physically dominated the Steelers offense in every way possible. We held the Steelers to just 33 yards rushing on 19 attempts. We didn't just stop the run, we forced a team to abandon their running all together. "Fast" Willie Parker, who ran for 243 yards in the first 2 games of the season, was held to 20 yards on 13 carries. It's quite an accomplishment to take away the Steelers running game.

The Eagles controlled the passing game too. Jim Johnson sent blitz after blitz at Roethlisberger (13/25 for 131 yards, 1 INT, 2 fumbles), sacking him 9 times. The pressure came from everywhere. Johnson sent linebackers (Gaither 1.5 sacks), safeties (Dawkins 1 sack, 1 forced fumble), and let us not forget the defensive line. They were all over Ben for the entire game, forcing him to move all around.

Amidst all the sacks, the Eagles defense recovered 2 forced fumbles, made1 interception, and got a safety. The Eagles defense appears to be much improved in the takeaway column from a year ago.

On the other side of the ball the Eagles looked good in some areas, and not so good in others. Donovan McNabb completed 24 passes to 7 different receivers, but no one went over 100 yards receiving (Baskett 85, Buchalter 44, Jackson 40, Avant 24, Hunt 12, Booker 5, Lewis 4). To the credit of the Steelers they were able to get pressure on Donovan/Kolb, and forced 2 interceptions. After Brian Westbrook left the game with an ankle injury, Correll Buckhalter filled in nicely with 87 all purpose yards and the games only touchdown.

The Eagles won the game on both sides of the ball, but it wasn't a glamorous win by any stretch of the imagination. The Eagles sustained some injuries in yesterday's win. Donovan McNabb missed most of the opening drive of the second half, but did return. Westbrook is scheduled to have an MRI today, and we are all waiting to hear the outcome. McNabb and Westbrook were joined by: L.J. Smith (back), Tony Hunt (concussion), and Shawn Andrews did not play. A win is a win, and that is a good thing. Next week we face Kyle Orton (kneckbeard) and his Chicago Bears.

GO BIRDS!!!!!

These are some views from the other side of the Steel Curtain:

• OFTOT has just added some names to his list.



• She's only got one thing to say. [Hockey, Football, and Stiletto Shoes]

An exhibition in pugilism

Here's the good, bad, and the ugly for our birds:

The Good: The Eagles won the turnover battle. Tony Romo threw an interception at the end of the first quarter ,that the Eagles were able to turn into a touchdown. Then we receovered Romo's fumble in the end zone for another touchdown. Winning the turnover battle will more times than not get you a win. We didn't get many turnovers last year, but the fact we got 2 against a very good team is praise worthy.

We only had 5 penalties for 44 yards, and the Cowboys racked up 10 penalties for 108 yards. Committing fewer penalties than your opponent is yet another key to winning games. Dallas was loud all night long, and the fact that we committed so few penalties indicates to me, that the were focused, and disciplined.

We won the time of possesion battle too, but not by much.

The Eagles defense held the Cowboys running game to less than 80 yards. Marian Barber was held to 63 yards rushing, and Felix Jones added another 10. The Eagles were all over the ball. Seldom were the Cowboys able to open holes to run through. We didn't allow Barber to get the extra yards after contact that he's known for. If the first guy their didn't bring him down, he didn't let go either, and we swarmed to the ball. The front seven looked fierce against the run.

Donovan completed passes to 9 different receivers for 281 yards. DeSean Jackson caught 6 of them for 110 yards. A great deal of credit should go to our offensive line. They gave McNabb a ton of time to make his reads.

Brian Dawkins can still lay the lumber! made a great play to knock the ball out of Martellus Bennett's hands, while leveling the boom on him as well. He had 4 tackles, and a forced fumble recovery.

The Bad: Blown Covverages. Terrell Owens' 1st quarter 72-yard TD reception opened the offensive flood gates. He made a tiny hesitation move between Lito Sheppard and Sean Considine, that allowed him to get behind the defense. The Eagles were in a zone when T.O. made that move. Did that freeze Considine enough for him to blow by him, or did Sean blow his assignment? There's truth to both sides, but the overall body of work for the night would lean towards blown coverage. Jason Witten got in on the action too. He got behind Brian Dawkins for a 42-yard reception on his way to over 100 yards receiving.

In the 2nd quarter DeSean Jackson put on the afterburners, and ran right by a flat footed Ken Hamlin and Adam Jones for a 61-yard reception which would have been a touchdown, except for the fact that he dropped the ball at the 1-yard line. We were lucky that we still got a TD out of it (B-West). I would have chalked this up to being a Rookie, but he has done that before. It's a lack of concetration, and unacceptable. He needs to understand that one play can be the difference between winning and losing.

Pressure on the quarterback. The Eagles didn't record a single sack, and the Cowboys had 4. With the acquistions of Samuel and Clemons this off season Jim Johnson was supposed to conjure up some serious havoc to rain down on opposing quarterbacks. We were able to get pressure, and force Romo into some bad throws. However, we needed to apply more.

Effective use of the tight end. L.J Smith let the first pass of the game bounce off his hands. That set the tone for his night. He caught one pass for 10 yards. Brent Celek only caught one pass too. The Eagles need their tight ends to be effective in the passing game. Jason Witten, Martellus Bennett, and Tony Curtis all caught passes when their number was called.

The Ugly: Turnovers. They cost the Eagles the game, and by "They" I mean the only one we had! Donovan McNabb did some double pump before handing off to Westbrook. Westbrook never got a hold of the football, and the Cowboys pounced on it. They got the ball back at their own 33-yard line. On the ensuing drive Asante Samuel was called for pass interference in the end zone, which gave the Cowboys the ball at the one. Marian Barber scored, and they were able to take the lead for good. There's nothing uglier than losing a game in the fourth quarter.
We need to regroup, and come back strong. It's a short week, and we have got another tough opponent in the Steelers on Sunday.

It was a tough loss for me last night. I watched the game with a Cowboys fan. We went back-and-fourth with some jawing, just as the game did. In the end we agreed that it was a good game. I knew to expect some Dallas propaganda, but there were a few that got my ire up.

Why did I have to see this on SBnation?

Then Alex Marvez, of Fox Sports, is ready to anoint Tony Romo as benevolent ruler of the universe.

I'm tapped out right now. Tomorrow will be much improved.

GO BIRDS!!!!

Eagles vs. Cowboys (A Rivalry Renewed): Pt. 2

Today, I am going to look at the quarterbacks for the Eagles, and Cowboys. The majority of this analysis will look at Donovan McNabb, and Tony Romo. I'm going to briefly include Kevin Kolb, A.J. Feeley, Brooks Bollinger, and Brad Johnson in this post, because they could see time, if someone were to get injured, and thus could have a potential impact on the outcome of Monday night's showdown in Dallas. I will incorporate statistics in this discussion, but I will use them sparingly. They are more to display each quarterbacks body of work, than to argue who’s got the advantage.

Donovan McNabb, Tony Romo, both men are the respective faces of their franchise. They are also considered to be among the elite active quarterbacks in the NFL. Tony Romo and Donovan McNabb share a lot of similarities on the playing field. However, their biggest difference is where they are in their careers. Tony Romo, in his 6th season, is the young, up and coming quarterback. Romo is looking to keep the Dallas Cowboys at the top of the NFC East. Donovan McNabb, in his 10th season, is an established member of the quarterback aristocracy. McNabb will be fighting to bring the Eagles back to their dominant ways of the early 2,000's. Both quarterbacks are looking to lead their team to a Super Bowl championship. To do that, they are going to have to face one another at least two times a year. Yesterday, Dallas won the coin toss, and went first. So it's the Eagles' ball today.

Donovan McNabb has become a prolific passer in the NFL. He has the ability to make any throw that is asked of him. Which wasn’t always the case, early on in his career, he was notorious for short hopping passes, and not consistently putting the ball on the money. He used to his athleticism, as a counter measure. If he saw daylight, he was gone. That’s not his game anymore. Today, Donovan’s game has evolved. He’s more of a pocket passer that, if the play breaks down, can make one with his legs. As Donovan learned the art of being a better pocket passer, he became a better quarterback. He led the Eagles to the playoffs 5 years running, 4 consecutive Divisional championships, and one Super Bowl. Since 2005, McNabb has suffered a number of season ending injuries, but in those years he was putting up MVP like statistics. McNabb is once again healthy, confident, and assume his role as team leader. Here are the numbers on Donovan McNabb (career):
1. 58.7 completion percentage
2. 25,765 yards passing
3. 174 TDs
4. 79 Ints
5. 2,965 yards rushing
6. 24 rushing TDs
When Donovan McNabb is healthy, he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. His strength and size give him the ability to elude tacklers, see the field, and put the ball anywhere he needs to. He’s become a more patient passer, makes better reads as well, and he spreads the ball around effectively. Donovan McNabb has tackled every adversity that he’s faced in the NFL, and that has made him a better player.

Dallas fans should thank Bill Parcells for two things: 1) Signing Tony Romo as an undrafted free agent and 2) Keeping him on the bench for three years. Tony Romo came out of relative obscurity, and onto the stage that is being the Cowboys starting quarterback. In 2006 he replaced Drew Bledsoe as the starting quarterback in Dallas, and led the Cowboys to the playoffs. In 2007, Romo and the Cowboys went 13-3, back to the playoffs, and he got rewarded with a big contract. He’s got a strong arm, and can make all the throws. He has good patience in the pocket, and makes good reads as well. Romo will stand in there, and take a hit, in order to deliver a throw, but if nothing is there, he will scramble. When Romo has time to make all of his reads he can pick a team apart. Here are the numbers on Romo:
1. 65.1 completion percentage
2. 7,434 yards passing
3. 56 TDs
4. 33 Ints
5. 228 yards rushing
6. 2 rushing TDs
Tony Romo was an unpolished gem, and by giving him time to learn, and develop he has ascended. He has the ability, and intelligence to be a great quarterback in the NFL. Tony Romo has been compared on numerous occasions to Brett Favre, which is high praise (depending how you look at it). Both Tony Romo and Brett Favre shoot from the hip at times. They may force an issue, and that can lead to turnovers. I don’t think that Tony Romo has peaked just yet, he’s close though. As he gets more and more game experience he should continue to improve.

Backing up Tony Romo is 17 year veteran Brad Johnson. Johnson is a journeyman of the NFL. He’s also a Super Bowl champion. Here are his career numbers:
1. 61.8 completion percentage
2. 28,627 yards passing
3. 164 TDs
4. 117 Ints
5. 658 yards rushing
6. 8 rushing TDs
Brad Johnson has got a lot of experience. His best attribute as a quarterback is his ability to manage a game. He might not going win you the game, but he’s not going to necessarily lose you the game either. Quarterbacks with his years of experience are useful. If Romo were to get hurt, Johnson could come in, and win a few games, but he’s not a sustainable solution.

The Eagles have placed the backup duties on the shoulders of 2nd year quarterback Kevin Kolb. Kolb has played only an insignificant amount of time, but for conformities sake, here are his numbers:
1. 83.3 completion percentage
2. 53 yards passing
3. 0 TDs
4. 0 Ints
5. -5 yards rushing
6. 0 rushing TDs
Kevin was a 2nd round draft choice last year, and would appear to be Donovan’s eventual replacement. He needs to continue to improve, before he’ll be ready to take over. He looked good in the preseason, but has yet to play a full 4 quarters of NFL football. Kevin has got a strong arm, which he showcased during the ’08 preseason. He’s got a steep learning curve in front of him, but fortunately for him, he’s got the fans support, for now.

Coming in at third on the Cowboys’ depth chart is Brooks Bollinger. Brooks is entering his 6th season in the NFL. Here’s what he brings to the table:
1. 58.6 completion percentage
2. 2,156 yards passing
3. 8 TDs
4. 8 Ints
5. 155 yards rushing
6. 0 rushing TDs
I know little about Brooks Bollinger beyond the fact that he exists. He has some playing experience, most of which came while playing for the Jets. I imagine that Brooks was brought in to add depth at the position, but I think Jerry Jones might strap on a helmet, before Bollinger gets under center.

Our 3rd string quarterback is A.J. Feeley. Feeley is in his 8th season, and has played for the Eagles, Dolphins, and Chargers. Here are Feeley’s career numbers:
1. 55.9 completion percentage
2. 4,070 yards passing
3. 27 TDs
4. 29 Ints
5. 45 yards rushing
6. 1 rushing TD
Feeley has shown flashes of Brilliance, and is a good leader. A.J. stepped up in 2002, and won like 6 games after McNabb and Detmer went down to injury. During the 2007 season, Feeley looked liked he was going to do the unthinkable, and knock off the undefeated Patriots. He committed a fatal error during the final drive. He threw the ball right into coverage, and the Patriots intercepted the ball. Feeley has the ability to steal games. He’s also got a penchant for committing costly errors in clutch situations.

In summation, if Brad Johnson and Kevin Kolb were to play the game, Johnson would have the advantage. This is always a high pressure game. Kolb hasn’t been field tested, and Johnson has plenty of experience. If A.J. Feeley and Brooks Bollinger were the starters, I give Feeley the advantage. Feeley has more of a history with the Cowboys, than Bollinger does with the Eagles. A.J. is Wiley, and can pull a win out of nowhere. Finally, we have the matchup that is going to almost certainly take place, McNabb vs. Romo. Donovan McNabb wins this matchup. He’s got a huge advantage in experience over Tony. Monday night’s game is going to have a playoff atmosphere, and I think that will affect Romo more than McNabb. So, the advantage goes to the Eagles.

What are your thoughts?
Statistics provided by NFL.com

GO BIRDS!!!!

Pregaming at the Linc?

You'll probably find me inside the gate, and somewhere to to the left this Sunday[Parking lot info]. I'll be downing some early morning meister chow. Not my flavor of choice, but certainly beats the Rocky Mountain (not) refereshment, that is Coors Light. However, I digress. Let's get back on topic, shant we?
Sunday we take on the St. Louis Rams at 1 pm (Fox, 94.1 WYSP/610 WIP, Sirius Channel 153, or NFL Sunday Ticket). We should all be excited for this season. Amidst all of the drama that has unfolded in our preseason, we are still considered contenders, but it means nothing if we can't follow through. So, no matter what we think about the Rams, it is a must win for the Eagles. We have to start strong, and carry on through the entire season. Which brings us to today's topic.

I love SBNation.com (content, layout, etc..). Often the main writers for each team site will exchange with one another. This morning was no different. Bleeding Green Nation got together with Turf Show Times (Rams) for a a little Q&A session prior to our Sunday showdown. They were both good reads. Check them out below. Anyways, I decided that I was going to answer the questions posed by Turf Show Times, as If I was the head blogger-in-charge of Bleeding Green Nation. I will try to stay away from what has already been mentioned to the best of my ability, but there is going to be at least some overlap.


Roll Tape, Queue Sound, and Action.....

1. The Eagles amassing of superstar cornerbacks, albeit one incredibly unhappy one, dominated offseason talk about your team. How do the cornerbacks fit into the larger plan for the Eagles to contend?

Answer: They play a vital role in our ability to be a contender. Jim Johnson is a blitzing guru. His defensive scheme is built on getting to the quarterback, which can leave the cornerback on an island in coverage. If they are't solid cover men, then Johnson's ability to rush the passer is limited. Having 2 pro-bowl corners (Sheppard, Samuel), and another solid corner (Brown) is great. It gives Johnson the ability to get creative, and poses a real problem for the opposing offense. Pressure leads to turnovers, and we didn't have many of those last year. If we get good pressure up front, then Samuel, Sheppard, and Brown should improve our numbers from a year ago.



2. No team is perfect. What are the Eagles' weak spots?
   
   Answer: There are a few different things that could be potential weak spots on our team. At the top of the list would be (#1) red zone offense. Piss poor, at best last year. Hopefully that will be improved upon from a year ago. L.J. Smith is healthy again, and he's a great red zone target. (#2)The wide receiver position. We lost our most productive receiver (Kevin Curtis) for an unknown amount of time due to a sports hernia. Reggie Brown is currently nursing a bad hamstring, and can't be counted on to start, and be productive right now. So, that leaves us with DeSean Jackson, Hank Baskett, Gregg Lewis, and Jason Avant to fill in. DeSean has really impressed Philly as a receiver during preseason. We expected him to be an immediate impact on special teams, and gradually work him in as a receiver, but that hasn't been the case. He was thrust into the starting line-up, and hasn't disappointed, but he's still not battle tested. How he performs on Sunday could ease a lot of fears. Then you have the receiver by committee group of Baskett, Lewis, and Avant. They all have shown potential, but not enough to differentiate themselves from one another. It's going to be very important that produce every chance they get. (#3) Special teams was another weakness that needs to be erradicated. Special teams cost us the game with Greenbay a year ago. The Eagles did address the issue through free agency, and the draft, and have looked good, So Far. Field position is crucial in a game of inches.
   
   
3. Last season the Eagles had a pretty good pass rush; how do things look this season? Defending against Steven Jackson is a lot like defending against Brian Westbrook, how do the Eagles do that?
   
   
   Answer: Wow, a two parter. I think that our pass rush looks promising. We have Broderick Bunkley and Mike Patterson at the tackles. Then we drafted Trevor Laws who's can step in, and provide a break without compromising the interior line. On the outside, we went out and signed Chris Clemmons, and let go of some others. I think that we are solid across the front four, no matter who's on the field. Jackson is a strong in runner. He can take it outside, or right up the middle. He's a workhorse. It's going to be important to control the line of scrimmage, and force him to go east/west. That will give us more timing to envelope him (hopefully in the backfield). If he has some daylight, and is running downhill, he's going to be much harder to stop.
   
   
   
4. If the 2008 Eagles were a film, what film would they be?
   
   
   Answer: I would have to say "Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby." For around 7 years we were the team to beat in the NFC East. Then, we suffered a serious set back (McNabb's injuries), and this Jean Girard character (Cowboys) becomes the best out there. Now, we are healthy, and ready to make a run to be king of the hill again. You could sub in the Giants too, considering that they are the defending Super Bowl champs, but you see where this is all going.
   
   
   
5. Doesn't Donovan McNabb look like himself every year about this time?
   
   
   Answer: I'm not sure that it could have been said any better than this:"This is the first year since the superbowl year that McNabb has
   not spent
   the offseason rehabbing some type of season ending injury from the
   year prior.
   It's pretty unreal to think the guy hasn't had a proper
   offseason in 4 years. So
   I think that's where the extra optimism is coming
   from this year. Last year at
   the start of the year he looked pretty bad and
   we could clearly see he wasn't
   over the knee injury of the year prior. This
   year, he looks like a different
   person. " - Jason B from Bleeding Green Nation

Compliments of SB Nation:
5 Questions for Bleeding Green Nation.
5 Questions for Turf Show Times.

GO BIRDS!!!!

Friday's+MPIE= Good times at OFTOT


Anyone going to the game? Let me know. We'll sing the Eagles Fight Song, and slosh beers together!