Die Hard Sports Fan

The Washington Redskins offense we saw that Thursday night that opened up the 2008 NFL Season against the New York Giants is forgotten and long gone.  After that week, out of no where, QB Jason Campbell and the rest of the Skins offense has gone through a metamorphosis, if you will, and has evolved into one of the NFL’s most consistent and steady offenses. 

Week 1, Campbell looked lost.  Campbell came into the season with a lot of pressure, due to learning yet another system in his young career.  However, this time, after 4 weeks, it looks like he has mastered the beginning stages of his journey into his new offensive education.  In 4 games, he has yet to turn the ball over.  He looks cool and collective; progressing through his reads and calmly getting rid of the ball or dumping it off to a short receiver when being hurried.  It looks as if the game has slowed down for him and he can see things before they happen.

With that said, the Eagles defense will bring an entire new test to his journey of learning Redskins Head Coach Zorn’s offense.  The Eagles rotate an almost an infinite amount of Defensive Ends and Tackles to wear down opposing Offensive Lines and get constant pressure on the other team’s Quarterback.  If the Redskins focus too much on pass rusher DE Trent Cole, then it will free up a Juqua Parker or even a Darren Howard.

The Redskins offensive weapons could present dangerous challenges to the Eagles defense.  If TE Chris Cooley is allowed to run free, underneath, and around the line of scrimmage, he could become Campbell’s safety valve, and help the Skins keep McNabb and company off the field.  To date, the Eagles have not been the greatest at shutting down the other team’s Tight End.  Cooley has the advantage as I don’t believe anyone on the Eagles can consistently cover him and effectively make him a non-threat.

WR Santana Moss is a speedster but a quality possession receiver as well who can take a 3-yard underneath pass and turn it up field for bigger gains.  Although he is dangerous, and will have his moments, I think CBs Asante Samuel, Sheldon Brown, and Lito Sheppard will be able to keep his involvement and productivity relatively low.  If the Eagles pass rush and blitz packages can get to Campbell often, it will help limit Moss’s effectiveness.  Moss isn’t the big, strong, and physical receiver that causes more issues for this core of CBs.  However I do expect him to come up with one or two big plays, even one for a long TD if he sneaks by a CB, deep down field.  I can’t expect the Eagles trio of CBs to completely take him out of the game.

The goal for the Eagles should be a steady list of the following combination:  Stay true to their position and hold their gaps to frustrate RB Clinton Portis.  Send the world and blitz to try to confuse Campbell on third and long passing plays.  Be mindful of the underneath routes run by TE Chris Cooley and WR Santana Moss.  The Eagles need to force the Skins into 3^rd and longs, by taking away the run and the short passing game.  If they are successful in the aforementioned, I like their odds, more times than not.

Tomorrow- Die Hard Sports Fan’s version of the Redskins-Eagles Pre Game notes and comments.

With that said, “E-A-G-L-E-S!!  EAGLES!!”

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On paper, The Philadelphia Eagles defense should match up quite well against The Chicago Bears offense.  The Bears passing game is suspect.  The Bears have no stand out, “have to stop receiver”.  The Bears starting QB, Kyle Orton has not been known to be a top, quality QB so far into his career.  Orton is inexperienced and inconsistent but can manage a game with short and accurate passes.  However, there are portions of the Bears offense that the Eagles need to be mindful of, or last year’s upset loss to the Bears could be repeated again this Sunday night.

Assuming dangerous return man/WR Devin Hester is still out with an injury as he is listed as Questionable at the time of this post, the Eagles should focus on shutting down two aspects of the Bears offense.  The first piece is to make sure they are not hurt continuously by rookie RB Matt Forte.  Forte has been a dangerous runner and receiver so far this season and could be the kind of back that gives the Eagles defense trouble.  There have been many successful rookie running backs so far into the NFL season, and Forte leads them all in production.  The Eagles so far have been extremely successful at shutting down the opposing team’s running backs and will need to keep Forte’s total damage at a minimum.  Doing so will put the Bears in a disadvantage, forcing them to have to attempt to pass, leaving them vulnerable to sacks, potential turnovers, and costly mistakes. 

The second portion of what the Eagles Defense should prepare for is the athletic ability of Bears Tight End Greg Olsen.  So far this season, arguably the Eagles biggest issue defensively has been attempting to shut down the other team’s Tight End.  Dallas Cowboys Tight End Jason Witten absolutely owned the Eagles during week 2’s game.  Last week, Steelers Tight End Heath Miller was the only success in the Steelers’ passing game.  It is crucial for the Eagles to get better at stopping opposing Tight Ends or more and more teams will game plan to pick on this chink in the Eagles defense’s armor. 

The Eagles have great Cornerbacks in Lito Sheppard, Asante Samuel, and Sheldon Brown.  Add in a ball hawking Safety in Brian Dawkins and an improving Safety in Quintin Mikell and I am quite confident that the Bears receiving core will not be much of a threat despite the fact that WR Brandon Lloyd (questionable) has started being more productive.

With that said, the Eagles would be wise to keep up their aggressive style of blitzing and be in the Orton’s face all day.  The Eagles should put as many men as possible up in the box, contain Forte, and bring the heat on Orton, forcing him to try to make the big play.  More times than not, the Eagles defense should be on the right side of things, helping our Birds go to 3-1.

With that said, “E-A-G-L-E-S!!  EAGLES!!”

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The Eagles Defense earned the victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers.  In a physical, defensive battle, the Steelers could not find a way to protect QB Ben Roethlisberger from the ever attacking Eagles Defense.

1^st Quarter

The Eagles won the coin toss and QB Donovan McNabb moved the offense down the field.  FB Tony Hunt caught a ball out in the flat and tried turning it up field.  Hunt was knocked silly on the play, suffering a concussion.  Worse, he fumbled the ball and the Steelers were awarded possession after a challenge review indicating a fumble.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger then successfully lead the Steelers offense downfield and settled for a 37-yard field goal to earn a 3-0 Steelers lead.

2^nd Quarter

During the next Eagles offensive possession, RB Brian Westbrook went wide left on a running play and tried hurdling over OT Tra Thomas to avoid stepping on him.  When Westbrook came down, he landed awkwardly, spraining his ankle.  Westbrook limped off the field and did not return to the game.  X-Rays did not show anything broken and he will have an MRI on Monday.  A few plays later, McNabb found backup RB Correll Buckhalter open for a 20-yard TD pass.  It was McNabb’s 176^th TD pass, a new Eagles franchise record.  The Eagles lead 7-3.

On Pittsburgh’s next offensive possession, the Eagles defense turned up the heat and shut down RB Willie Parker and the Steelers Offense.  Roethlisberger was sacked 3 times and also fumbled where the ball was recovered by Philadelphia.

The Eagles immediately went to work, mixing it up with the pass and some run.  They marched down to the Steelers’ 14 yard-line where they settled for a 31-yard David Akers field goal making the score 10-3.

The next possession for the Steelers was similar to the last one where the Eagles defense was flying around the field, causing constant pressure.  After being sacked 2 more times, Roethlisberger was intercepted by Eagles CB Asante Samuel, giving the Eagles offense back the football.

After 2 plays, it was third down and McNabb dropped back to pass.  Backup RB Lorenzo Booker missed a crucial block to protect McNabb and he forced a ball into coverage.  It was intercepted by Steelers CB Bryan McFadden, giving the Steelers great field position, at the Eagles 49-yard line.  The Steelers then took the ball forward and settled for a 53-yard field goal by K Jeff Reed, making the score 10-6 right before half-time.

3^rd Quarter

After the Steelers Offense came out and was forced to punt, surprisingly the Eagles offense was lead out onto the field by backup QB Kevin Kolb.  It was reported that McNabb was in the locker room with a chest injury.  Kolb’s first pass was intercepted by Steelers Safety Troy Polamalu.

The Steelers were unsuccessful on their next possession and were forced to punt.  Kolb started the offensive drive, but McNabb replaced him, coming back in on a 2^nd and 2 play.  The Eagles drive stalled a few plays later where P Sav Rocca dropped the ball nicely to the Steelers’ 10 yard-line.  The Eagles and Steelers then finished the 3^rd quarter by trading possessions, punting the ball back and forth to each other after each team failing to move the ball on offense.

4^th Quarter

A few more possessions were traded back and forth as the Eagles defense was too much for the Steelers and their offensive line.  The Eagles offense also had trouble in the early stages of the 4^th quarter moving the ball. 

After a 54-yard punt by Rocca, placing the Steelers at their own 6-yard line, the Steelers were shut down trying to move the ball out from their goal-line.  On 3^rd down, Roethlisberger was pressured in his end zone and flagged for intentional grounding, giving the Eagles a Safety and increasing their lead to 12-6.

The Eagles received the Steelers’ free kick at the Eagles’ 39-yard line but were unsuccessful in moving the ball.  On the Steelers next possession, Roethlisberger was hit by a Eagles Safety Brian Dawkins who forced the fumble and recovered the ball as well.  The Eagles settled for a field goal, extending their lead to 15-6.

The Steelers took the ball back but Roethlisberger left the game with a hand injury.  Backup QB Byron Leftwhich replaced him and was unsuccessful in leading the Steelers to a score.  The Eagles got the ball back, took a knee and ran out the clock, winning this physical battle over The Keystone State, 15-6.

Wrap Up 

The Eagles Defense forced 9 sacks, 1 Safety, and 3 Turnovers against the Steelers.

Besides injuries to Hunt, McNabb, and Westbrook, TE L.J. Smith suffered a back injury.

The Eagles Defense held RB Willie Parker to just 20 yards rushing.

 With that said, “E-A-G-L-E-S!!  EAGLES!!”

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Assuming Jessica Simpson is not a curse on Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo, let’s take a peak at how the Eagles Defense matches up against one of the NFL’s most potent offenses, The Dallas Cowboys: When given time in the pocket, Tony Romo is just as good as any other starter in the NFL. He has nice mobility and can step up and move around in the pocket, throwing the ball with nice emphasis, down field. Since this game is not a play-off game, we will give Romo the benefit of the doubt that he will perform up to his capable abilities. I expect Romo to have more than some success unless the Eagles Pass Rush can get to Romo and frustrate him, often and early. A tangible that will relate directly to Romo’s success or lack of it is how the Eagles trio of Cornerbacks (Samuel, Brown, and Sheppard) does on locking down Cowboys weapons Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton, and Jason Witten. The Eagles must rattle Romo’s confidence often and early which will then take Owens, Crayton, and Witten out of the game more times than not. For whatever the reason of the Eagles not trading Lito Sheppard now has its benefits. There is no better example of the importance of having three stud Cornerbacks than this game. The outcome of holding onto Lito will now put the Eagles Defense in a better position in dealing with teams who have multiple threats such as the Dallas Cowboys. The match-up of the Dallas Offensive Line versus the Eagles Defensive Line looks to be a push to me. Both teams have talented linemen. Dallas has a huge offensive line, where the five starters average over 320 pounds. This massive line has the potential to cause issues for the Eagles, but I see Defensive Coordinator Jim Johnson using his rotation of Ends and Tackles to deal with the size factor. Additionally, I think Johnson will time the blitzes accordingly to help the D-Line. The Eagles will need good run support from the Linebackers and Safeties in order to contain RBs Marion Barber and Felix Jones. If the Eagles Defensive Line does not get good run support from the back seven, the Cowboys will chew up the clock and run the ball successfully all game long. A concern I have that is keeping me up at night is how the Eagles will try to stop Tight End Jason Witten. Hopefully Jim Johnson will come up with a scheme to shut Witten down such as putting one of the 3 CBs on him. If the Eagles try to cover Witten with Gaither or GoCong, it will be a very nice day for Witten and a long day for us Die Hard Eagles Fans as I have no confidence either of these two can cover him consistently. I do not want a Safety on Witten either as that will hurt the run support, as well as the CBs covering Owens and Crayton. The bottom line is this; the Cowboys will definitely get their opportunities and score some points. How many points they score depends on how the Eagles do scheming, preparing, and matching up against the Cowboys. If the Eagles are successful in supporting each other, pressuring Romo continuously, and keeping the Dallas weapons in front of them, then there is a good chance the Eagles can make this a game and really make a statement to the entire NFL with a competitive game or even dare I say a road win against the hated Dallas Cowboys. With that said, “E-A-G-L-E-S!! EAGLES!!”

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It is Tuesday, the first day after all of week 1’s games are over.  Today is that “in-between” day.  Do we Die Hard Eagles Fans continue to enjoy Sunday’s dominating victory over the Rams or do we shift focus, and look ahead to our week 2 opponent, the dreaded Dallas Cowboys?  For this Die Hard Eagles fan, it is a no brainer and here’s why:

The Eagles victory on Sunday was awesome.  Watching McNabb basically have a perfect game where the Offensive Line kept him clean and untouched was more than I expected.  The Defense was all over the place, shutting down all major weapons of the Rams.  The Special Teams were exciting.  Every time the Rams punted, I could not wait to see what DeSean Jackson had in store.  Our punt coverage was supreme.  David Akers was booming the ball on kickoffs.  You could have not scripted a better opening day result for our beloved birds.

With that all said, it was against the Rams, at home, in our house.  Injuries plagued the Rams up and down their roster, on both sides of the ball.  The good news is we beat them and put them away the way we should have.  We didn’t play down to their level which was a possibility.  It was a gift from the NFL schedule makers and we took full advantage of it.  Now, it is time to move on, and although we should appreciate our accomplishment on Sunday, we now need to focus on what could quite possibly be the biggest week 2 match-up in a long time. 

The Cowboys and The Eagles could be the two finest teams in the NFC.  Other teams in the NFC such as the Panthers, Saints, and Giants could argue that point, but it is a safe statement to make.  Although pre-season predictions are worthless, it was this Die Hard Eagles Fan’s prediction that the Birds face the Cowboys in the NFC Championship game come playoff time.  It is time to put week 1 to rest and shift all energies and focus towards a very exciting Monday Night game capping off week 2 of the 2008 season.

Both teams have high expectations.  “America’s Team” is a sexy favorite from the NFC and is full of stars across both the offense and defense.  On paper, there is no reason why they won’t be representing the NFC in the Super Bowl.  Although this game will not decide everything in the NFC nor anything specifically between The Cowboys and The Eagles, it will be used as a good barometer as to judge how good both teams are and if each is worthy of my pre-season prediction.

This game has it all, making Monday feel like a year away, including the following:

• The bright lights of Monday Night Football. 
• The heated rivalry of two NFC East division members.
• Former Eagles WR Terrell Owens lined up against CBs Sheldon Brown, Asante Samuel, and Lito Shephard. 
• QB Tony Romo versus QB Donovan McNabb. 
• Top Tight End Jason Witten versus a questionable but up and coming Eagles Linebacking core.
• Hopefully nice camera shots of Jessica Simpson in the stands
• RB Brian Westbrook versus a speedy Cowboys Defense
• Hard running Marion Barber versus an Eagles rotation of Defensive Linemen.
• TE L.J. Smith versus S Roy Williams
• Punt Returners DeSean Jackson and “Pac-man” Jones

I have one message for Terrell Owens.  This game cannot get here soon enough and I will most definitely be bringing my popcorn.  With that said, “E-A-G-L-E-S!!  EAGLES!!”

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Where do I start?  How about with a nice video clip of my favorite hitting CB in the NFL, Sheldon Brown:

 

With that covered, let’s take a look back at yesterday’s great victory as our Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) now head to Dallas to face the Dallas Cowboys (1-0).

Offense:  McNabb was simply spectacular.  He started the season in fine fashion, on par with helping me be correct with my prediction that he will throw for 4000 yards and pass for 30 TDs.  1 game down, 15 to go with that prediction… He was on fire, completing 21 of 33 passes, lighting up the Rams Defense with 361 yards passing and 3 1^st half TDs.  He did well stepping up in the pocket and avoiding the rush, throwing spreading the ball nicely to his weapons. 

Very quietly, Westbrook had a nice game.  He had the TD reception in the first half and then really picked up steam running the ball in the second half, later adding a rushing TD as well.  There were points in the game where I was wondering if Reid and company forgot about running the ball, but those thoughts quickly disappeared each time the Eagles lead grew by another 7 points.

The receivers stepped up and gave McNabb what he needed.  Consistent players making the catches to keep the chains moving, or in Hank Baskett’s case, to add 7 points to the score when he hauled in a 90 yarder from McNabb shortly before half-time.  What was impressive to me, but probably not much noticeable was the receivers’ down the field blocking.  Whether blocking for each other after a reception, or for Westbrook on running plays, numerous times I looked up and saw the receivers blocking well.  Additionally, I was pleased to see LJ Smith play with at a level that I hope to see from him consistently.  LJ finished with 5 catches, which is a nice amount to receive from your West Coast Offense Tight End.

The Eagles Offensive Line had a great game as a total unit.  They kept McNabb’s uniform clean as #5 was not sacked at all.  They provided very good push upfront giving Westbrook time to hit the gap and average solid numbers.

Defense:  The Eagles frustrated and confused Rams QB Marc Bulger and the rest of their offense all day.  Bulger nor RB Steven Jackson got into a rhythm and the score shows that obviously.  Most impressive was the fact that the Eagles defense basically shut out WR Torry Holt who was held to just 1 catch for a whopping 9 yards.  The Eagles rotation on the defensive line did a solid job at containing Jackson as well as pressuring Bulger.  DE/DT/LS Darren Howard didn’t a lot of tackles, but he did create some pressure, which helps me get over the fact we kept him and cut Jerome McDougle.  The linebackers were steady.  MLB Stewart Bradley handled himself well in a year where the Eagles linebackers really need to step up and contribute better than in past years.

The Eagles secondary were most impressive.  Asante Samuels could have easily had two or three interceptions.  One would have been returned the other way for a TD.  Samuels, along with Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard were all over the field, as if the Rams were only sending out one eligible receiver with the Eagles covering him with 11 men.  Safeties Brian Dawkins and Quintin Mikell played solid support coverage against the run and held their ground in the passing game.

Special Teams:  Wow!  Night and day is the comparison here for this year’s season opener versus last year’s loss versus Green Bay.  I don’t want to remind Die Hard Eagles fans but last year, all the Eagles had to do was fair catch a punt and the game was their’s to win, but Greg Lewis (and not Brian Westbrook) didn’t and well, I will move on….

Punt Returner and Rookie Sensation DeSean Jackson was a breath of fresh air and brings a very much needed threat that the opposing teams will now have to game plan for.  What Jackson also does is makes the offense and defense better simply by giving the Eagles better field position.  He helps the offense by not making them have to work as hard if they have a smaller field to play with.  He helps the defense assuming the offense is productive off of where he gives them better field position.  Sunday, he was dazzling and came up on fire for his rookie debut.  Besides catching over 100 yards, he also returned 8 punts for 97 yards including an exciting 60 yarder that made me hold my breath, not wanting to jinx anything by saying he was going to score.  When something like a 60 yard punt return happens for the Eagles, I am used to something bad occurring immediately right after it, such as a penalty negating the return. 

Another Rookie bringing hope to the Eagles’ Special Teams was Quintin Demps.  Demps made two special plays on punt coverage that won’t show up in the stats today but made a huge impression on me.  On one punt, he made a head’s up play, jumping into the end-zone and batting the ball back into play for the other Eagles to down the ball.  It was most impressive.

Even Punter Sav Rocca did well.  I cringe every time he is back there to punt, I must be honest.  I was a Dirk Johnson guy last pre-season.  Rocca only had to punt 4 times, but averaged a nice 41.5 yards.    

So in conclusion, the Eagles did exactly everything (except a shut out!) that we Die Hard Eagles fans needed after waiting so many months for the season to start.  They demolished the Rams and beat the Rams in every portion of the game.  I don’t know about you, but I was nervous after every play, when the score was 31-0 and 38-0 and the Eagles still had first string players in there.  I got to exhale after Westbrook and company were safely on the bench but that leads me to a question for Andy Reid.  With the game obviously out of hand, even before it got to 31-0, what would have been the harm of starting to pull the 1^st stringers and give the younger guys some reps and experience versus the Rams’ first string players?  If this is McNabb’s final year (which I hope it is not), then getting Kevin Kolb in there before the 4^th quarter would have been wise to me for more than just keeping McNabb safe and healthy, ready for another day, specifically next week versus those Dallas Cowboys.

With that said, “E-A-G-L-E-S!!  EAGLES!!”

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FLY EAGLES FLY!! The Eagles dominated every where, on offense, on defense, and yes, even special teams:

1^st Quarter:

McNabb started the game with an off target pass, but immediately settled down and led the Eagles to two straight touchdowns and their first two possessions. WR Jason Avant had a nice 3^rd down catch good for a 1^st down on his first reception of the 2008 season. TE LJ Smith showed what a nice Red Zone threat he can be with his first TD of the season.

On Defense, the Eagles looked strong right from the beginning. CB Asante Samuel and DE Darren Howard stood out with helping shut down the Rams offense.

2^nd Quarter:

The Eagles actually had to punt for the first time of the game into the 2^nd Quarter. The Rams QB Marc Bulger continued to look out of rhythm as the Eagles defense continued to frustrate him. RB Steven Jackson was basically taken out of the game, strategy wise with the Eagles jumping on the Rams early, 14-0. Quintin Demps stood out on special teams during punt coverage where he made two terrific plays downing a punt. CB Sheldon Brown put such a solid hit on Steven Jackson that it hurt me more than Jackson. Ouch! WR Hank Baskett scored on a huge 90 yard pass play as the Rams defense looked dazed and confused.

3^rd Quarter:

CB Asante Samuel “almost” scored more points than the Rams Offense did. He had a nice play where he broke on the ball and dropped a sure interception return for a TD. Rookie sensation DeSean Jackson was absolutely brilliant on a punt return, setting up an Eagles TD. FB Tony Hunt lined up as the half-back with DT Dan Klecko leading the way as the FB with Hunt punching it in for a TD.

4^th Quarter:

At 31-0, I was wondering why both the Eagles and the Rams still had their star players in. After the Eagles took a 38-0 lead, McNabb and the starters gave way to the 2^nd string so youngsters Kevin Kolb and company could get some reps in and give the starters a rest. The Rams finally put points on the board with a 46 yard field goal with 9 minutes left in the game.

The NFL.com Game Center: Post Game is attached.

Wrap Up:

• The Eagles had not one but two WRs over 100 yards receiving (DeSean Jackson & Hank Baskett).
• Westbrook had two TDs, one receiving and one rushing.
• Eagles Head Coach Andy Reid is now 4-6 on opening day games.
• The Eagles now travel to face the Dallas Cowboys next week on Monday Night Football.

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Today, we will look at how the Eagles Defense will do against the Rams Offense.  Although the Rams Offense is no longer the “Greatest Show on Turf”, they still pose a threat when clicking on all cylinders.

The Rams running game is the biggest threat against the Eagles Defense.  RB Steven Jackson has returned from his summer hold out and is a fierce runner who is hard to tackle, and can be a dangerous receiver out of the backfield on swing/screen passes.  It will be interesting to see if he is ready to carry a full work load after his hold out.  Jackson should have a somewhat productive game, with hopes of helping keeping the Rams Defense off the field, and keeping QB Marc Bulger from being hit more than necessary.

The Rams Offensive Line is headed by OT Orlando Pace who is coming off injuries and may be hindered by his health status.  This could benefit the Eagles Defensive Line.  If Pace and the rest of the Offensive Line can give Bulger time, it could mean a decent day for WR Tory Holt.  The Rams will need another Receiver to step up and take the place of WR Isaac Bruce, who is now with the SF 49ers.  Former Titans WR Drew Bennett could help take the pressure off of Holt as I look for Eagles CBs Asante Samuel, Sheldon Brown, and Lito Sheppard to frustrate Tory Holt as much as possible. 

To be successful at shutting down the Rams offense, the Eagles must do two things:

• Get a consistent pass rush on Bulger and rattle him early, making him have thoughts of getting hit on every passing play. 
• Eagles LBs Chris Gocong, Stewart Bradley, and Omar Gaither must step up and provide nice support to the Defensive Line against the run and keeping Jackson in check. 

If the Eagles can do these two things consistently, the Rams should be held under 20 points.  Bulger, Jackson, and Holt will make some nice plays, but it will not be enough to break the Eagles Defense nor lead the Rams to a victory.  With that said “E-A-G-L-E-S!!  EAGLES!!”

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