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!!!

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!

Are you ready for some football?

Today is a glorious day. The sun is shining. Birds are singing. The NFL kicks off the regular season tonight!

Eagles vs. Rams, things to consider:
Steve Jackson's carries. It's no secret that Steven Jackson is what drives the St. Louis Rams these days. The greatest show on turf has packed up, and moved to greener pastures. Now, he will be required to shoulder the load of this teams offense. Early reports are that his carried against the Eagles will be limited. If that is the case, the Eagles should easily steamroll the Rams. I never thought that I would say these words but, thank you holdout!
Injury Report. The Rams injury report looks pretty clean, and we all know what our injury report looks like. Reggie Brown participated on a limited basis which ties into my next point of interest.
DeSean Jackson is getting the start. Reggie Brown had said previously that he would be ready for the home opener. Well, he sure as hell doesn't seem ready to me, and I'm not the only one. Andy Reid seems ready to put rookie DeSean "I'm gonna take your job" Jackson in the starting lineup. Brown will play in Sundays game, but will be used sparringly. Hamstring injuries are nagging, and can really inhibit your ability to perform. This is going to be a great test for Jackson. Let's see if he is able to create space, and make catches like he did in the preseason.

Other News:
Randall Cunningham loves us! That's right Philly, Randall "I can punt the ball too" Cunningham love you! I remember watching him play, and being amazed. Gets me almost nostalgic. Bring it home for Jerome!

Tony Romo, you are a marked man! They say that good quarterbacks have a certain moxy about them, a confidence, a swagger if you will. However, that moxy should be kept to the way that one carries themself, and not let it spew from ones tongue. Romo put his team on blast in the final episode of Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys. He might as well wear a big bulls eye on his jersey. He hasn't won a playoff game, he cried on the field, and now he's looking past the entire 2008 season to the Super Bowl.. He did a little back tracking later on, but that's not the point. The point is that a quarterback should exude a quiet confidence, and lead his team by example, not by the mouth. How can anyone that plays on the NFC East just look past your rivals. It's foolish to do so. Perhaps, Tony was taking a page out this guys book.

Tatum Bell, pervert, thief, or just misunderstood? Seriously, we get it, Rudi Johnson and the Lions smote you. Are you 10, or something? You stole his luggage, and then attempted to explain it away as misunderstanding. Just tell him the truth Tatum, you want to know what Rudi's man scent is like.


GO BIRDS!!!!

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