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No McNabb, No Westbrook, No Problem !
The Eagles started off strong against the Kansas City Chiefs today, with LeSean McCoy having a strong first quarter and scoring his first NFL touchdown on the Eagles second possession for a 7-0 lead. Kolb stood in there and completed several key throws and Vick looked to be largely ineffective in his limited snaps in wildcat. Kolb hit DeSean Jackson for a 43 yard completion on the third offensive drive. Kolb then leapt in for HIS first rushing TD as an Eagle to stake the Birds to a 14-0 lead.
The defense made up for their loss of concentration against the Saints by coming early and often against returning QB Matt Cassell. Sheldon Brown and Assante Samuel did a good job of filling the holes left by Eagles defensive mainstay Brian Dawkins, and the defense in the first half looked as good as I have seen it in several years. They held the Chiefs to 0 yards in the first quarter with ferocious pursuit of the ball and an unrelenting rush on Matt Cassell. By the start of the second quarter, you could tell the Eagles D smelled the blood in the water !
The Chiefs used a trick play late in the first half to make their first foray deep into Eagles territory with a wide reciever pass thrown across the field for a 27 yard gain, Reid smartly called a timeout to allow him time to look at the play, which could have been a trapped ball, to see if it was worth throwing in the red flag to have it reviewed. Bradley made a circus catch of a Cassel pass to cut the Eagles lead to 14-7.
DeSean Jackson quickly responded on the Eagles next play, going 64 yards for the touchdown. 21-7 Birds, just like that !
Brent Celek was equally effective at Tight End, and Kolb had Jeremy Maclin open for a TD right before halftime but he threw behind the rookie receiver and the Eagles had to settle for a FG to go into halftime with the 24-7 lead.
The throw to Macklin was one of the few throws the young QB did not connect on. He came out in the second half throwing and looked strong in leading the Eagles down the field on their first possession of the second half. The Birds only got 2 field goals on their next 4 drives but extended thier lead and kept momentum on their side. The remainder of the second half was noteworthy only in that it was fairly uneventful. Brent Celek sealed the deal with a 4th quarter 35 yard TD catch that put the game away at 34-7.
The Eagles starters played a solid game, no turnovers, no sacks allowed, no offensive penalties, no need for McNabb or Westbrook, no production from Michael Vick. Kolb had another 300+ yard passing day, DeSean Jackson and Brent Celek both had solid receiving days, and McCoy had a solid day running. I know they played the lowly Chiefs but the game was a surprising success. The newer players all stepped up and improved on their game and the drama that is frequently evident on Sundays when the game should be relatively uneventful was not there. Instead, these new Eagles did what they were supposed to do, when they were supposed to do it with a minimum of fuss. The overall effect was one of confident performance and securing a victory that should have been a given, and for once, was.
One small glitch when Reid brought Garcia in for a series to wind up the game and he fumbled the exchange for the only turnover of the day. It resulted in a meaningless KC TD to close the game. Kolb certainly appears to be ready with back to back 300 yard passing games to start his career in Philadelphia.
I am ready for some football, enough with the soap opera already !
All right. UNCLE. NFL Gameday, 13 minutes coverage on Michael Vick, 2 minutes coverage on the upcoming Eagles game. I have been anti Vick since his signing, in part because of what his personal choices were, and in part because I don’t feel he is that good of a QB. He is a great runner, a below average passer, and an average team mate.
This team was highly touted BEFORE the Vick signing, why have they been relegated to road kill on the side of the road, hardly worth a mention? I know they are a disappointing 1-1, but all you “sports know it alls on useless TV shows” How about showing our team some respect?
We have guys besides Westbrook, McNabb, Jackson, and yes Vick, how could I forget Vick?!!! If you came here from another planet you would think the three injured Eagles and the one ex-felon were the entire team. What is happening to our world, when a regular, hard working football player can’t rate a mention unless he is on Inside Edition or a team medical report?
I was going to boycott the Eagles because of their poor choice of off season pick ups, but even I realized this would be unfair to all the other hard working anonymous Eagles that give it their all week after week. I came around. Now can we finally talk about some football?? I honestly hope Vick comes in, has his first NFL regular season appearance since going to jail, and STINKS! Then we can forget about Reid’s school girl crush on the wildcat and get back to playing some shove it down your throat and defend the goal-line like the “pack of wild jackals Eagles old school football” that all the fans are accustomed to.
I pick the Eagles to win today, only because the Chiefs suck so badly. Then the bye week and I pray McNabb recovers in time to come back and start so we can put Vick where he belongs, on the sideline, to be trotted out occasionally, a curiosity at the freak show he has made of his life.
If everyone would STOP talking about him to the detriment of the team, maybe I could get over his signing and enjoy watching him play. Now the talking heads are all commenting on how he won’t be a starter here. Wow! News flash. They are unsure why Reid signed Garcia but is starting Kolb. Maybe it is because Reid came to his senses when McNabb got hurt (on an illegal hit that got NO coverage by the way) Reid knows Vick is not a starter or a mentor for Kolb, hence Garcia. I have said this since Vick was signed and had several internet skirmishes in defense of this position. Now all the pros are jumping on MY bandwagon? I don’t think so.
GO EAGLES! And leave Vick behind like the road-kill he should be, and win this without him and maybe you will get back some of the respect you so richly deserve.
Eagles-Saints Report Card
I think that before the game if anyone had said the Eagles would have walked off the field at halftime down 17-13 to the Saints everyone would’ve been pretty happy considering that Kevin Kolb was making his first pro start. If not for a few breakdowns the Eagles legitimately could’ve gone into the locker room up 13-10 poised for an upset. As we all know, the Eagles made too many mistakes against a good football team. This game reminded me alot of the New England Sunday night game from a couple years ago except that the Eagles were in position to win that game in the 4th quarter. That was not the case on Sunday.
Passing Offense: Kevn Kolb exceeded every expectation anyone could’ve had. He threw for 391 yards and his 71-yard touchdown strike to DeShaun Jackson to tie the score at 7 was a thing of beauty. He did throw 3 interceptions, but two of them came late. Grade: C – plus
Rushing Offense: The Eagles picked up 85 yards on the ground despite having to go to the air for much of the second half. The Wildcat formation seemed to work as the Birds got 45 yards from that formation. Westbrook got just 16 touches but did have to leave the game early. Grade: C-plus
Run Defense: Poor tackling set the tone, especially on Bush’s late 19 yard scamper. When are these guys going to learn that you cannot bring down an NFL back by his ankles? The Saints got 133 yards on the ground – not a good number for a unit that was supposed to be improved against the run. Grade: D
Pass Defense: Just like in 2006 Brees went thru the Eagles pass defense like a hot knife through butter. 311 yards and 3 touchdowns by the time it was all over. Third down was the killer – 9 for 11 for 131 yards as the Eagles pass rush was non-existent. The defense again looked flat on the first drive just as it had against the Panthers, an issue that Defensive Coordinator Shawn McDermott has to address. Grade: D
Special Teams: Were they even there? Yes they sure were. Ellis Hobbs was acquired because of his ability to field kicks and his fumble to start the half started the snowball rolling downhill. Hobbs did have a 63 yard kickoff return and Rocca booted a 61 yard punt but unfortunately neither produced when the Eagles needed it, and Rocca gave the Saints a short field a couple of times in the second half. Grade: F
Coaching: I think Andy Reid had a nice game plan, and I loved the call to go deep to Jackson on the second play of the game. Unfortunately all the game planning in the world doesn’t overcome poor tacking and poor decision making. I’d like to give Reid an F here just for saying that he holds himself accountable. C’mon – ten years and that’s all he can come up with? Grade: C
Overall: To be fair, I didn’t think the Eagles would win this game. I also didn’t think they’d get blown out and they were right there at halftime and going into the fourth quarter they were only down 14 points which this offense certainly is capable of overcoming. If nothing else, Kevin Kolb lasted longer than I thought he would and earned himself another start. Grade: D
Eagles will go as far as Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook take them (Part 5)
Five Keys to the Eagles season ending with a title
Key 5: Westbrook and McNabb staying healthy.
You can talk all you want about the impact rookie running back LeSean McCoy will have this season. You can talk all you want about the excitement Michael Vick will bring to the Eagles offense.
At the end of the day, the Eagles will go as far as Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook takes them.
Just like it has been.
When McNabb and Westbrook are healthy and on the field together, the Eagles have a chance to win – no matter whom they are playing. The due is that good.
Sure the Eagles have had moments of success with each of its stars down. AJ Feeley had his moment in the sun a few years ago, as did Correll Buckhalter, but at the end of the day the Eagles are certainly not better when one or both is off the field – not by a long shot.
Though Westbrook is coming off of an injury and has hit the dreaded “30” an age where running backs tend to decline, he is still the most dangerous weapon in the Eagles arsenal. When he is on the field safeties have to pay attention to him, thus creating more opportunities for the likes of DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis to get open down field.
Head coach Andy Reid’s use of Westbrook has frustrated Eagles fans over the years. Though a featured back, Westbrook rarely carries the ball 20 times a game and with the emergence of McCoy, he almost certainly won’t increase his carries this season. Yet even when he doesn’t touch the ball No. 36 has the full attention of the defense. It s something he has commanded over the years and something that will not easily be replaced is Westbrook goes down for an extended period of time.
That brings us to McNabb, who remarkably made it through a full season without an injury in 2008. Though he had his struggles in the first half of the season, McNabb caught fire down the stretch leading the Birds to the NCF Championship game.
If McNabb were to go down it could cause a flurry of problems. Who comes in, Vick or Kevin Kolb? What if one of them helps the Eagles go on a run?
Those are just two of the many controversies that would inevitably come out if McNabb is off the field.
In the big picture this team is still all about McNabb and Westbrook. The time is coming where that will change, but for now, it hasn’t. The Eagles will go as far as this duo takes them.
That could be to Miami.
Five Keys to the Eagles season ending with a title (Part 2)
Key No. 2: Donovan McNabb overcoming pressure.
This is nothing new for Donovan McNabb. Since the day he was drafted, the quarterback from Syracuse has been under the microscope in Philadelphia. At times it has been a little overwhelming.
Just consider this excerpt from Phil Sheridan in Monday’s edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“It was September 2003, just eight months after the Eagles’ gut-punch loss to Tampa Bay in the NFC championship game at Veterans Stadium. The Eagles opened their inaugural season at brand-new Lincoln Financial Field with home games against the two most recent Super Bowl champions.
They lost to the Bucs, 17-0, on a Monday night. Six days later, they got destroyed by New England. By the third quarter of the Patriots game, Donovan McNabb was being booed every time he took the field. A chant went up from the crowd.
We want A.J., we want A.J. . . .”
Think about how loud those chants will be this year if the Eagles get off to a slow start. This time it won’t be for the recently-cut Felley, but rather for Michael Vick.
Having Vick as his backup is just one of the pressures McNabb will need to overcome for the Eagles to finish as the top team in football.
Here are a few more:
• Andy Reid has called this the most talented team he has had. That means it has to live up to a higher expectation than ever. With Brian Westbrook, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, Jason Avant and Jeremy Maclin at his disposal, the Eagles are expected to be a top-five offense. For that to happen, McNabb can not be off his game for extended periods of time — as has happened in the past. The offense is only as good as it’s general.
• In past years, the Eagles have won games on the strength of their defense. This year, that may not be the case. While the Birds defensive unit could still be top-10, no one is expecting it to be as good as in the past with the passing of Jim Johnson and the losses of Brian Dawkins and Stewart Bradley. That means it may be the offense that has to save the defense from time to time. More pressure on the veteran QB.
• McNabb got what he wanted, now he must deliver. In the offseason McNabb said he wanted to see the Eagles make a conscientious effort to improve his weapons. So the Eagles went out and drafter Maclin and McCoy in the first two rounds. Then they brought McNabb protection (at least they hope) in offensive linemen Jason Peters and Stacy Andrews. McNabb liked what he saw and signed an extension. He basically admitted that he could win with this team. Now he has to do it.
• The Phillies have shown the way. Now that the Phillies have brought a championship to the city, hardcore Eagles fans are wondering when they get to enjoy a title. The city got a taste of a winner and it wants another one. Five conference championships in eight years is a great feat, but it won’t cut it anymore. Philly wants another champion.
McNabb has had a great career in Philly — some would even say a Hall of Fame career. He has a chance to truly define himself with this team. In a way, his career may be remembered for what he does with this group of players.
Now that’s pressure.
Part 1 Sean McDermott and Eagles Defense Check back on Thursday for Part 3 of five-part series.
Brian Westbrook ready to run
The most dangerous weapon in the Eagles arsenal says he will be at 100 percent when the regular season gets underway.
And no, this has nothing to do with Michael Vick.
Star running back Brian Westbrook spoke to the media for the first time this preseason on Wednesday and said that the bone spurs in his right ankle have been cleaned up and that he is ready to get going.
“My plan is to go out there,” Westbrook told the Eagles official web site, “Help this team get the playoffs, win some playoff games, and get to the Super Bowl. That’s our goal, that’s my goal as well, so I’m going to do everything I can to get back to that level of play.”
He also admitted he still has some rust to shake off after missing all of the offseason workouts prior to this week.
“I still want to continue working on my cuts; I still want to continue working on my balance, things like that,” Westbrook said to the web site. “It’s coming along. It’s one of those things where it’s a work in progress. I’m excited about being back though.”
For the Philadelphia’s sake, Westbrook needs to return to peak form and stay there throughout the season.
While there has been much buzz about rookie second-round pick LeSean McCoy, the running back from Pitt is still un-proven. McCoy figures to start the season as the primary backup to Westbrook, in part because of his impressive camp and in part to the lack of depth at the position.
Third on the depth chart is Lorenzo Booker, who saw little action a year ago. Booker came in with much fanfare as the Eagles brass talked about him playing alongside Westbrook in many formations. That never came to be and Booker finished the season with a meager 53 yards rushing on 20 carriers He was also inactive for six games.
Philadelphia decided against singing a veteran backup in the offseason, staying away from the likes of Dominick Rhodes and Warrick Dunn. The move should be a smart one if Westbrook remains healthy and McCoy proves to be as good as he has shown in the preseason. If Westbrook goes down for a prolonged period of time and McCoy takes a while to learn the nuances of the difficult West Coast offense, the Eagles chances of getting back to the NFC Championship game will be severely diminished.
For now Eagles fans should be excited by the prospect of Westbrook being at 100 percent by the September 13th opener against the Carolina Panthers. Westbrook has and will continue to be the biggest piece of the offensive puzzle.
Hoping for an injury-free night for Eagles
The preseason is here and with it comes the first opportunity for the Philadelphia Eagles to show the rest of the league and its fans, what could be in store this season.
There will be a focus on the defense which will have to show it can hold up without centerpiece Brain Dawkins (Broncos) and middle linebacker Stewart Bradley, who was lost for the season with a knee injury.
Others will focus on the Eagles two top draft picks, running back LeSean McCoy and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.
For me, the focus is simple: Get out of the game injury-free.
The Eagles have been buried by injuries already in camp. They have already lost rookie tight end Cornelius Ingram and Bradley for the season. Offensive lineman Shawn Andrews and Jason Peters have also been plagued by injuries during cap, and of coarse Brian Westbrook will not be getting any live action for a couple of weeks.
Earlier this week head coach Andy Reid stated his plans to play the starters for a full quarter tonight against New England. With all of the early injuries I am surprised he is keeping them I that long. A lot of teams go with their first team for one possession in the preseason opener. By weeks two and three, fans typically get to see a team’s stars for up to a full half.
The one player who does bear watching is backup quarterback Kevin Kolb. In his two seasons with the Eagles, Kolb has done nothing to show he ca handle being a starting quarterback in the league. While performing well in the preseason won’t necessarily change that, it could ease the nerves of fans that are concerned about McNabb going two straight seasons injury-free.
So fans, enjoy the game, but remember the only number that matters in “0”, as in zero injuries. After all, that is what the preseason is really about.
Brian Westbrook Ankle Injury
Brian The Eagle dominated Pittsburgh but may have lost a key player. Brian Westbrook twisted his ankle. and all I have to say is ouch. I how really hope he has an ankle sprain of sort that will heal easily and quickly. The Eagles and Eagles Fans will have a long season if the injury is serious. Last I heard was that he will have an MRI some time this morning. I think everyone would agree though, Correll Buckhalter did a great job when Westbrook went down.
Beside the injury to Westbrook the game was awesome. The Eagles defense owned Ben Roethlisberger. With a total of nine sacks I sure he was flinching and jumping in his sleep last night. Brian Dawkins had a flying leap to bat the ball from Roethlisberger and recovered the fumble. Go Dawk way to show the you will play football at only the highest level.
On the way in this morning I was listening to 610 sports radio. The morning crew had Ray Didinger on. Ray had talked about the Eagles defensive success yesterday against the Steelers. He talked about the possibly othe the Eaglesdefense being more aggressive in future games. Man would that be great to have a few more games this season with 5 to 10 sacks?!
A bit of Philadelphia Eagles history was also made in yesterday’s game. Donavan McNabb became the Eagles all time leading quarterback for the number of touchdown passes with 176. Way to go I love to see great Philly sports history.
Brian Westbrook
Well it’s finally here, the Philadelhia Eagles 2008 Season. Although just a seedling this season is sure to grow into an exciting one.
But first things first. The Eagles need to give Westbrook the money he deserves. It seems like he gets a touch on every series. He has proven time and again he can get the job done. Just watch the video!
As for merchandise Brian Westbrook is the 2nd best selling player behind Donavan McNabb. If Brian Westbrook decides to not play because of contract issues it will be a long season. So pay him the money and lets look forward to a great season.
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