Die Hard Sports Fan

After keeping fans on the edge of their seats for a few hours, the Giants came out of the City of Brotherly Love with a victory over the Eagles giving Big Blue their eighth win of the 2008 Regular Season.

1st Quarter

The Giants were able to get one first down on their opening drive before Eli Manning threw a pass that was deflected at the line of scrimmage, intercepted, and returned to the Giants’ 9 yardline by Mike Patterson with 13:30 remaining.

The Eagles quickly capitalized on the turnover on 2nd and Goal as they direct snapped the ball to Desean Jackson who broke to the right side and dove over the right pile on for a 9-yard Touch Down run with 13:18 remaining.

The Giants evened up the score on their next possession going 80 yards on 10 plays, and Eli Manning threw a bullet to Plaxico Burress who was in between two defenders in the middle of the end zone for a 18-yard Touch Down reception with 8:21 remaining.

When the Giants kicked off, Quintin Demps caught the ball at the 5 yardline and returned it to the 25 yardline where Ahmad Bradshaw knocked the ball out and Chase Blackburn fell on the ball at the Eagles’ 14 yardline.

The Eagles were able to stop the Giants from getting into the end zone after giving them great field position, but John Carney made a 27-yard Field Goal Attempt with 6:48 remaining giving the Giants a 10-7 lead.

2nd Quarter

A few runs by Ward along with a few passes to Toomer helped set up the Giants on 1st and Goal at the Eagles’ 1 yardline, and Eli Manning capped it off by throwing a 1-yard Touch Down pass to Kevin Boss in the back of the end zone giving the Giants a 17-7 lead with 14:55 remaining.

On 1st and 10 at the Giants’ 43 yardline, Eli Manning got sacked by Trent Cole and Mike Patterson for a loss of 9 yards with 11:04 remaining on a drive which ultimately led to a punt.

On 1st and 10 at the Giants’ 35 yardline, Manning handed the ball off to Brandon Jacobs who broke towards the left sideline and jumped over defenders near the first down marker but had the ball stripped out of his hands by Chris Gocong and recovered by Mike Patterson at the Giants’ 44 yardline with 6:39 remaining.

The Eagles took advantage of the great field position again as Donovan McNabb found Jason Avant at about the 5 yardline who ran it into the end zone for a 10-yard Touch Down catch with 4:01 remaining cutting the deficit to 17-14.

On 3rd and 12 at the 13 yardline, Donovan McNabb threw an interception to Sam Madison who returned it 19 yards to the Eagles’ 14 yardline with 2:05 remaining.

The Eagles kept the Giants out of the end zone again, but John Carney made his 26-yard Field Goal Attempt giving the Giants a 20-14 lead with 1:49 remaining.

McNabb led the 2:00 offense to the Giants’ 11 yardline with 0:05 remaining so David Akers came out to try a 29-yard Field Goal Attempt which he made with 0:00 remaining cutting the lead to 20-17 before the half.

3rd Quarter

McNabb was spreading the love during the Eagles’ opening drive of the half, and Donovan McNabb lofted an 8-yard Touch Down pass to Hank Baskett who came down with the ball in the left corner of the end zone with 11:24 remaining giving the Eagles the lead 24-20 .

The Giants gave the Eagles’ defense a big dose of Jacobs who kept moving the chains to the Eagles’ 21 yardline before Manning scrambled and threw a shovel pass to Boss at 3 yardline which was ruled a penalty initially, and then the play was challenged and overturned. On 2nd and Goal, Brandon Jacobs bulldozed his way into the end zone for a 3-yard Touch Down run giving the Giants the lead 27-24 with 5:56 remaining.

4th Quarter

The Giants continued to wear down the Eagles’ defense as Earth, Wind, and Fire got them to the Eagles’ 6 yardline before getting held out of the end zone for the third time, but John Carney connected on his 28-yard Field Goal Attempt making the score 30-24 with 13:28 remaining.

Hixon returned the ball all the way to the Eagles’ 15 yardline, but a holding penalty backed them up to the Eagles’ 40 yardline. Bradshaw had a 23-yard run which immediately got the Giants into the redzone. On 2nd and Goal at the 3 yardline, Brandon Jacobs with the help of his blockers broke the plane of the goal line while losing the football which was initially called a Touch Down, and then it was challenged and the ruling on the field was upheld. The Giants failed on their Two Point Conversion Attempt so their lead is now 36-24 over the Eagles with 9:30 remaining.

The Eagles opened up their passing attack on the Giants prevent defense marching all the way down to the Giants’ 2 yardline, and Donovan McNabb rolled to the right and threw a 2-yard Touch Down pass to Kevin Curtis in the back of the end zone on 4th and 2 with 5:30 remaining cutting the lead to 36-31.

The Giants held the Eagles on 4th and 1 at the Eagles’ 45 yardline forcing the Eagles to turn the ball over on downs with 1:48 remaining.

The Giants picked up a first down on 4th and Inches to run out the clock.

Wrap Up

Eli Manning went 17/31 and threw for 191 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 INT.

Brandon Jacobs led in Rushing Attempts and Rushing Yards with 22 and 126 respectively.

Kevin Boss led in Receptions and Receiving Yards with 6 and 69 respectively.

Brandon Jacobs had 2 Rushing TDs, and Kevin Boss and Plaxico Burress each had 1 Receiving TD.

John Carney went 3/3 in Field Goal Attempts.

Antonio Pierce led the team in Tackles with 7.

The Giants had no Sacks.

Sam Madison had 1 INT.

The Giants had no Forced Fumbles.

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

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This has been a decision I’ve been contemplating for about 24 hours now.  How do you decide who gets the game ball when the team as a whole pretty much won us the game?  Both sides of the ball were executed phenomenally, however my Die Hard Redskins Fan game ball goes to…Chris Cooley.

While I was quite impartial, debating between Cooley and Clinton Portis, I decided to go with Chris Cooley for a number of reasons. One, he had his first touchdown of the season yesterday, an 18 yard option toss from WR Antwaan Randle El that gave us the go-ahead in the third quarter.  Which, by the way, was the first visiting team touchdown scored at Lincoln Financial Field since last season. Two, he had a career-high 109 yards versus last weeks #9 power ranked Philadelphia Eagles.  Three, with the biggest concern for the Eagles defense being tight end coverage, Chris Cooley walked into the game ready to eat it up!

He credits “Tana Man” Santana Moss for his production in his official blog today.

“I finally put a touchdown on the stat sheet. I knew I was going to have a great opportunity to help the offense this week and really I felt it was a compliment to Santana Moss. Although he was catch-less, he opened up all kinds holes for the rest of us.”

Now, let’s move onto grading the team.  Beginning with the defense, I am handing out a B+.  Granted, Brian Westbrook isn’t healthy, but his presence did offer the Eagles their only touchdown in the game on Sunday.  Our defense was missing three key starters- Marcus Washington, Shawn Springs and Jason Taylor, however as a whole, they only allowed 58 yards on the ground.  DE Andre Carter recorded six tackles in the game, a team record so far this season.  And despite the mishap in the first quarter where WR Desean Jackson returned a kickoff for a touchdown, the most notable performance by the Redskins defense was when the Eagles pushed to the two yard line, followed by a no-gain second down and a 3 yard loss on third down, both on the account of Brian Westbrook. Ackers came in for the field goal where the Eagles were finally able to put up points after the Skins had posted 23 unanswered points.

Onto the offense. CLEARLY I am going to give the big O an A for their performance Sunday.  Between 204 yards on the ground against the #1 rushing defense in the league, along with a career-topping performance by Cooley, a brief taste of what may be to come with WR Devin Thomas, and the distraction methods used by Santana Moss, our boys worked together as a whole and executed beautifully in this win.

K Shaun Suisham racked up the points in field goals the first half yesterday, scoring us 9 points.  While at the time we were probably squirming a bit trying to catch up to the 14 points Philly scored early, those critical field goals won us the game in the end.  And they were all LONG balls too, and therefore I will be giving special teams an A as well.

CONGRATS TO COOOOOOOOOOOOLEYYYYY for having your best game yet in your career and scoring the Die Hard Redskins Fan game ball!

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Man oh man…where on Earth do I start?!  I think first and foremost… the Redskins deserve a HUGE pat on the back. Number one, they are officially finished playing their division rivals on the road for the season with an NFC East record of 3-1.  Number two, I was watching Chris Bermman on ESPN’s The Blitz yesterday and he was literally tongue tied and pretty much speechless because he, like all NFL analysts at this point, are in disbelief in terms of the Redskins success.  This team is truly a force to be reckoned with.

I believe I speak for the majority of us when I say the opening of the game was a bit nerve wrecking.  Brian Westbrook scored running up the middle at the beginning of the game, followed by rookie DeSean Jackson’s kickoff return for a touchdown (that block in the back 100% should have been accepted by the way), leaving us at a 14 point defecit with 7:47 left to go in the first quarter!  The play by play guys started saying we looked like the Redskins who lost in our first game versus the Giants. Little did they know.

Second quarter was the Shaun Suisham show, where he kicked for  41, 48 and 50 yard field goals which took us into half time down by 5, score 14-9.  And this Redskins defense came out ready to fight in the third quarter, causing Donovan Mcnabb and his Eagles to go 3-and-out three times in a row, and going nearly 30 minutes without a first down.

Meanwhile on the other side of the ball, the Redskins were being productive as well.  College quarterback turned receiver, Anwaan Randle El threw TE Chris Cooley his first touchdown of the year, giving Washington the lead, 16-14.  At the start of the fourth quarter, RB Clinton Portis literally walked into the end zone, adding to the lead and the Redskins 23 unanswered points since Jackson’s kickoff returned TD halfway through the first quarter.

The Eagles marched down the field and made it to the 2 yard line, but then Brian Westbrook took a loss of 3 yards and Acker’s had to come in to kick a field goal.   Washington went on to get the W with the final score being 23-17.

So…how come this number one defense against the rush decided not to show up yesterday? Because Clinton Portis AND Ladell Betts got their man yesterday with 200+ yards!! Not to mention Jason Campbell and the Redskins converted on third down 11 of 19 attempts.  He adapted to reading the blitz effectively and our offensive line gave the Eagles a run for their money. And how about Brian Westbrook..? He had just 33 yards on the ground, granted he got the TD early, but where was he at after that?

As opposed to my initial thoughts at the beginning of the game, our Skins have really broken out of their shell. And as if the defeat of the Cowboys last week wasn’t reason enough, we are certainly the talk among the league right now. We’re the only team in the league who has yet to have an offensive turnover for goodness sake!! Sure, the Giants remain undefeated, but who the heck have they really played so far? And there are a couple of teams with only one loss…most of which I would say deserve to be 4-1 or 3-1. But I am a firm believer that we’ve had the toughest schedule.  But that being said, we are now going into the easiest part of the season, facing the Rams, Browns and Lions who are 1-11 respectively.  Our biggest challenge at the time, in my opinion, would be to NOT get cocky and prepare for these games the same we have thus far.

Oh yeah, and wait, how on EARTH are the Tennessee Titans really 5-0 right now? That’s the best record in the league!! What’s going on?!

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The Redskins came into Lincoln Financial Field and out muscled the Eagles to walk out of Philadelphia with another big NFC East victory.

1^st Quarter

The Eagles received the ball first to open the game.  The Eagles took the ball and marched down the field, with authority.  The Eagles set the tone early, equally mixing up the run and the pass.  The Eagles capped of the 80-yard drive with a Brian Westbrook Touchdown run putting the score at 7-0, Eagles. 

The Redskins took their first possession and right away were pressured by the Eagles swarming defense.  The Redskins were forced to punt and rookie sensation WR DeSean Jackson fielded the punt, starting his return to the right, and then turned direction, headed back left and was gone, a 68-yard Touchdown punt return.  The Eagles now led 14-0.
Being down 14-0, Washington took their 2^nd possession and after a few plays, were forced to punt again.  This time, DeSean Jackson waived his hand in the air and took the fair catch.  For the 3^rd Eagles possession, they were on the move yet again.

The Eagles 3^rd possession stalled though and David Akers missed a 50-yard field goal that was just shy to the right.  The score remained 14-0, Eagles.

2^nd Quarter

The Redskins opened up the 2^nd quarter with a few big pass plays to TE Chris Cooley who for the day would kill the Eagles.  The Redskins were forced to settle for a Shaun Suisham field goal, cutting the Eagles’ lead to 14-3.

The Eagles went three and out and Punter Sav Rocca boomed the ball to the Redskins where the Eagles downed the ball inside the 5-yard line.  The Redskins’ running game go things into gear with RBs Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts taking charge, moving the ball down the field.  The Redskins were finally stopped and settled for another Suisham field goal.  The Eagles now led 14-6. 

After a poor kickoff by Suisham where he sent the ball out of bounds, the Eagles started at their own 40.  The Eagles blew the opportunity to move the ball and went three and out.

The Skins took over at their own 18 with less than 1 minute left in the half.  The Skins moved the ball quickly down the field and got into field goal range as time in the half ran out.  Suisham kicked his 3^rd FG of the game and the score was 14-9 at the half.

3^rd Quarter

The Eagles and Redskins exchanged a few possessions until the Redskins struck for the first time with a Touchdown, where Redskins WR Antwaan Randle El took a reverse from Campbell but then fired a strike to a wide open Chris Cooley who walked into the end-zone for the TD.  For the first time of the game, the Redskins took the lead with the score now 16-14.

4^th Quarter

The Redskins moved the ball again on the Eagles defense, taking the ball to the 4-yard line where RB Clinton Portis scooted in for the score.  The Redskins increased their lead to 23-14.

The Eagles got the ball back inside their own 10 after a blocking in the back penalty by WR Jason Avant.  The Eagles went to work right away moving the ball down the field, mostly thanks to a head’s up play by WR Reggie Brown.  Brown caught a pass from QB Donovan McNabb, was on the ground but still untouched.  He smartly got up and rumbled for 40 yards down into Skins’ territory.  Later, Brown caught another McNabb ball down to the Skins’ 2-yard line.  The Eagles Red Zone offense failed again where Westbrook was stuffed two straight times and the Eagles settled for a David Akers field goal, cutting their deficit to 23-16.

With 7:18 remaining in the game, the Redskins received the ball and ran out the clock.  The Redskins won 23-16.

Wrap-Up

• Redskins QB Jason Campbell had zero turnovers. 
• Eagles WR DeSean Jackson was held to 1 catch for 8 yards.
• Redskins TE Chris Cooley had 109 yards and 1 Touchdown.
• The Redskins were without starting CB Shawn Springs, LB Marcus Washington, and T Stephon Heyer.

NFL.com Game Center post game is attached.

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

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The Eagles started the game with very high energy. Donovan McNabb took his team the length of the field to score early. The Eagle defense held the Redskins offense to two three-and-out series to start the game. After a quick second touchdown on punt return by Desean Jackson, the Redskins settled down. By half-time, they cut the Eagles lead in half after a trio of field goals by Shaun Suisham. After finally taking the lead towards the middle of the third quarter, the Redskins never looked back as they continued to impress on both sides of the ball.

1st Quarter -

Redskins start off the game with an strong special teams effort, but it was immediately forgotten as Brian Westbrook popped off a 16 yard run after catch on a screen pass from Donovan McNabb. The Eagles proceeded to march down the field with short passes and the running of Westbrook. One play, a double reverse to Desean Jackson would have been a touchdown if not for the tackle by The Predator, Chris Horton. Three plays later, Westbrook fights through some arm tackles on the Redskins defense and get the first touchdown of the game.

After a three and out series by the Redskins offiense, and a questionable non-call, Desean Jackson out runs the Redskins special teams for a touchdown.

Towards the end of the first quarter, the Redskins find a way to stop the Eagles, mostly by the inaccuracy of McNabb and the wide right field goal attempt by David Akers.

2nd Quarter -

To start the second quarter, the Redskins get a first down, the first of the game. They followed that up with their first points of the game; a field goal by Shaun Suisham.

Westbrook had left the game midway through the first quarter, but made his return in time for the Eagles first possession of the second quarter. Carlos Rogers dropped an interception, which may have turned the momentum. Still, the Eagles are forced to punt one play later. Antwaan Randle-El allowed the punt to bounce, expecting it to touchback in the endzone. Instead, the Eagles cover the ball and give the Redskins terrible field position on the two yard line.

After running the ball out from deep in their own territory, the Eagles dial up the blitz and sack Jason Campbell for a loss of 16 yards on the missed pickup by Ladell Betts. Still, they find a way to keep the drive alive on a nice strike to the rookie Devin Thomas. Later, on the same drive, on third and six, Campbell attempts a quick pass only to have it batted down at the line of scrimmage. Suisham makes the field goal from 48 yards.

After forcing the Eagles to a three and out series, Washington takes the ball with under two minutes to convert another field goal by Suisham.

Halftime Score: Eagles, 9-14

3rd Quarter -

Both defenses of the teams came out strong to open the third quarter. The wake up call came on a violent run up the middle by Clinton Portis; a tremendous run for 10+ yards. Devin Thomas had a nice pickup on a WR screen to bring the ball inside the Eagles 20 yard line. On the next play, Randle-El took the reverse, faked the run and threw down the field to Chris Cooley for a touchdown. Redskins take the lead.

On the Eagles next possession, they go three and out and give the ball back to Redskins. After a third dropped pass for the game by Randle-El, he leaves the game with an apparent hand injury. The Redskins rookie WR, Devin Thomas commits his third offensive pass interference to negate the first pass reception of Santana Moss. Because of that penalty, the drive stalls.

The Redskins defense stops the Eagles again for three and out. On the resulting punt return by Randle-El, a penalty against the Eagles gives the Redskins the ball at midfield. A monster run by Portis takes the ball all the way inside the Eagles 10-yard line. While Portis is resting on the sideline, Betts takes the ball down inside the five yard line for 2nd and goal.

4th Quarter -

After an incompletion, on third and goal, Portis walks into the endzone for a touchdown.

The next series by the Eagles featured Westbrook and a catch and run by Reggie Brown. After marching deep into Redskins territory, the Redskins make a goal line stand to force the Eagles to kick the field goal.

On the next series by the Redskins, they pick up two consecutive, critical third downs to run the clock down to under three minutes. On yet another critical third down, the offense wastes a down on a broken play, which set up a fourth and one at the Eagles 39-yard line. Clinton Portis takes the hand off up the middle, pushes the pile ahead for the first down!

The Eagles without a time out remaining, run out the clock to win the game.

Score: Redskins, 23-17

Wrap Up -

• Jason Campbell was 16 of 29 for 176 yards.
• Clinton Portis rushed 29 times for 145 yards and a TD.
• Chris Cooley had 8 receptions for 109 yards and a TD.
• Six different Redskins caught passes today, except for Santana Moss.
• Redskins defense held the Eagles, the sixth ranked offense in the league, to only 196 yards passing and 58 yards rushing. 

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In what looks like a must win game for The Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field; let’s take a look at how they match-up offensively versus the defense of The Washington Redskins:

The Eagles offense will have to be ready to go physically with the Redskins defense.  The Redskins play a physical, team defense that is stingy but can give up yardage.  Part of their team philosophy is to keep their defense off the field with a ball possession attack on offense which keeps their defense fresh and hungry when they return to the field.  Although the Redskins defense is not full of star, pro-bowler type players, they play well as a team defense, complimenting each other, knowing their roles and how each person’s responsibility and performance helps the others on the defense.

The Eagles have one advantage where Redskins starting DE Jason Taylor will most likely be out another game.  Over his career, he has been a special player, able to rush the quarterback as well as being strong against the run.  With him out, the Eagles have one less thing to game plan.

The Redskins front four is solid but not spectacular.  DT Cornelius Griffin may cause match-up problems for Eagles Center Jamaal Jackson.  DE Andre Carter is a speed guy who could cause problems going against the Eagles aging and slowing Tackles.  The Eagles would be wise to put a Tight End on Carter’s side to chip him on important passing plays. 

Against the run, they are nicely supported by their Linebacking core, where LB’s Marcus Washington, London Fletcher, and Rocky McIntosh are tackling machines.  The Redskins also benefit from these 3 LB’s being skillful in the art of dropping back into pass coverage.  The play of the Redskins Secondary will probably determine how well the Eagles do or do not do on Offense.  When CBs Shawn Springs, Carlos Rogers, and Fred Smoot play as one unit with Safeties LaRon Laundry, Reed Doughty, and “The Predator” Chris Horton, the Redskins defense is very successful at limiting opposing offenses to scoring chances.  However, this unit can be taken advantage of as Springs is a bit long in the tooth, Rogers is still trying to recover from a knee injury, and Smoot can be inconsistent. 

I look for the Eagles to come out spreading the field with WR’s DeSean Jackson, Reggie Brown, Jason Avant, and Hank Baskett.  The Redskins defense does best when they work together, swarming the ball, in numbers.  The Eagles will have the advantage if the field is spread and thus opening up things on the ground and in the air for RB Brian Westbrook (assuming he plays).  Westbrook is the wild card here.  If the Redskins have to focus on him, it will free up everyone else and take pressure off Eagles QB Donovan McNabb.  If the Redskins don’t worry about Westbrook, he very well may repeat his performance against them as he did last year where he single-handedly destroyed them with 183 total yards and 3 TDs.

The conclusion here is that although the Redskins defense is solid, they can be exploited.  They were only on the field a small portion of the game last week against Dallas but still gave up some yardage and big plays.  The Eagles need to be smart with the ball, create mismatches in open space, and keep the Redskins defense on the field as long as possible.  The Eagles know what to do; it is just a matter of how successful they will be at doing it.  Tomorrow, we will take a peak at how the Eagles defense matches up against QB Jason Campbell, RB Clinton Portis, and the rest of the Redskins offense.

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

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Vedder:  Thank you for joining us today Warmontco.  This is a very important game this week between the Deadskins, I mean The Washington Redskins, and The Philadelphia Eagles.  With the NFC East being the best and toughest division in the NFL, as well as the most competitive, would you say that this is a must game for both teams?

Warmontco:  No, I don’t believe this is a must game for either team beyond the idea that each must defeat their rival. NFC East games are a cut above anything else you can identify in the NFL. It doesn’t matter if one team is perfect with zero wins, and the other perfect with zero losses. On game day, nothing else matters in an NFC match-up beyond the fact that the mindset is to win! There is no trophy, or big, blanking ring for being first in the division.

I recall as a kid we used to play a game called “King of the Hill.” It’s a popular game that I’m sure many can identify with. Playing in the NFC East is more like that game, year in and year out, than any other division in the NFL.

Vedder:  The Giants the only remaining undefeated team in the NFC East.  To date, their fans (especially a co-blogger of ours on www.diehardsportsfan.net) seem to have delusions of grandeur.  They did beat the Redskins and the Redskins beat The Dallas Cowboys in Dallas.  Do you think The Giants are currently the best team in the NFC East?   After all, I think I could have beaten the Rams and Bengals.  How pathetic that the Bengals took them to OT in the Meadowlands!

Warmontco:  Get real!! The Giants!?  Ha!  Not on your life. That said, I’m not comfortable stating who is the best team. I made this point in an earlier post leading up to the Cowboys game. Just because the Giants beat the Redskins (mostly because the Redskins weren’t ready in the first half of the game), and the Redskins beat the Cowboys, does NOT mean that the Giants can beat the Cowboys, or the Eagles. I believe this is a key fact that most people that don’t follow the NFC East never fully appreciate. All games, regardless of the perceived stature of the other team and the predictions of what they will achieve for the season, begin from base zero.

Most pundits who will try to offer their analysis would not put the Giants at the top of the hill right now, anyway. Why? Well, it’s simple. Who have they played. They beat a Washington team that wasn’t quite ready to begin the season and a mere shadow of itself today, the St. Louis Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Giants need to beat a team that is clicking on all cylinders before they can honestly be given king of the hill. But again, I remain reserved in that assessment because as I mentioned earlier, it doesn’t matter who is king of the hill today, tomorrow, next week, or at the end of the regular season. If the Giants taught us anything last year, it was that the only game that matters is the next one, until it’s the last one.

Now, that said, let me also say that I do believe the Redskins are playing very strong right now. For that, I also believe that the Redskins will give any NFC East team a very strong challenge. The Redskins defense did to the Dallas Cowboys what the Philadelphia Eagles defense couldn’t do. Still, in truth, we were more successful because were able to watch the tape of the Eagles/Cowboys game. 

Vedder:  The Redskins have been questioned around the league as being run by an owner who needs to stick his nose out of things.  Do you think owner Daniel Snyder has learned how to own the team without treating it as his own personal fantasy football team?

Warmontco:  Dan Snyder, in my humble opinion, has matured. He is acting, and operating the team, with prudence and forethought. It is well known, and he has even spoken of his early exuberance. But, for anyone to criticize him for that is shallow, at best. This is a man that has created success. Through that success, he was able to buy his most favorite childhood professional sports franchise. Now, in any other metropolitan outside of the D.C. metro area, that might not seem like very much. But, to Mr. Snyder, and to me, and to so many others that are a part of Redskins nation, you’d have to admit: what a rush that must have been to buy the team you love so much. So, naturally, he was exuberant and wanted to win…badly. I believe that has not changed. But, unlike his early years, I believe he now manages the team with the wisdom that can only come from experience. It’s the difference between knowledge and ‘know-how.’ Mr. Snyder now knows how to run the Redskins.

Vedder:  A few years ago, the Redskins dealt Pro Bowler CB Champ Bailey and a 2^nd round pick to the Denver Broncos for RB Clinton Portis.  At the time, Washington was criticized for giving up too much for Portis.  Now that a few years have gone by, as a Skins fan, how do you now evaluate this trade?

Warmontco:  I’m a huge Clinton Portis fan. I’m glad he is on the Redskins team. I’m glad that we are going to keep him a Redskin for the foreseeable future. I do not believe that there is no clear difference and/or drop off between having Portis in the backfield as compared to our other running backs. In my mind, there is a huge drop off. But, while I acknowledge and accept the value that CP has on the team, I would rather we not made that trade, except for one key factor. To me, it is more valuable to have a lock down cornerback than it is to have a top flight running back. Defense is what wins championships. That said, Champ Bailey wanted out. He wasn’t happy. So, because of that, we should have traded him. I don’t believe on making players stay where they don’t want to be. I think we paid too much for Clinton, but I’m most happy that we got him. 

Vedder:  Over the last few weeks, we have seen the first stages of the evolution of QB Jason Campbell take place.  Critics jumped on him early saying his delivery was too slow for the West Coast Offense or he wasn’t the right QB period.  What are those critics saying now?

Warmontco:  There has been a thundering silence from Jason Campbell’s critics. Very early on, I wrote about us needing to be patient. I believe most of the noise was created by those who are just interested in having Colt Brennan play. They’re not mature fans, in my opinion. While it was fun to watch Brennan in the preseason playing against guys that aren’t even in the league today, it’s something altogether different to expect him to play, and play effectively right now. Even Coach Zorn has said as much. In fact, I agree with Matt Terl of The Official Redskins Blog in how he put it towards the end of the preseason. He said that he liked watching Colt play, but he didn’t want him taking another snap until the start of next preseason…in 2009!

As for the ‘professional’ critics, well that’s their job. They get paid to create and/or feed controversy. So, they appear to have moved on to find controversy elsewhere, i.e. T.O.’s latest issue in Dallas.

Vedder:  During the off-season, one of the Redskins weaknesses appeared to be their WR core.  They addressed that need by using the draft in selecting WR Devin Thomas and WR Malcolm Kelly.  However, after 4 weeks, neither has barely seen the field.  Are you as a fan disappointed with their involvement and contributions to this point?

Warmontco:  Well, once again, it’s a question of how much value a rookie can actually have at a skill position. It is truly rare, in my opinion, where a rookie can step in and add value right away. On those occasions, the team has found someone special. In our case, I can’t really speak to either one of the three receivers we drafted; Thomas, Kelly; and Davis. Davis has it tough because he plays behind a highly underrated TE in Chris Cooley. Thomas and Kelly had an opportunity to play more by pushing Randle-El and James Thrash to reserve roles. I still believe that may happen by the end of the year for Thomas, as long as he stays healthy. As for Kelly, well you can’t make the highlights if you’re sitting in the tub. No player has control over injuries. But, to a degree, I believe that Kelly in particular may have enjoyed a better transition to the NFL if he had a stronger off-season training program. That said; they kept him off of IR because they thought he might contribute this year. And, he just may…later. But even if he doesn’t, no worries…they’ll get him in shape for next season.

Vedder:  What player on the roster excites you most so far this season?  You have been pretty clear on your past Die Hard Redskin posts that you are enjoying the play so far of Safety Chris Horton.

Warmontco:  “The Predator” is fierce. I love watching him play. Aside from him, I have to be honest and say that I am most thrilled watching Jason Campbell come into his own. I only hope that he continues in his progression and takes a place among the leagues elite QB’s.

Vedder:  Regarding DE Jason Taylor, does he have anything left in the tank and are you concerned the Skins gave up too much to acquire him? 

Warmontco:  Contrary to what many believe, there is a HUGE difference in how to play LEFT defensive end, as opposed to RIGHT defensive end. Taylor created his legend playing Right DE. He played it for a number of years. In doing so, he got comfortable…more than comfortable. It’s a completely opposite technique that must be employed on the Left side. It sounds easy, i.e. just put your opposite hand down, and move your opposite foot forward in your stance. But, that couldn’t be further from the truth. So, I don’t believe he will be as dominant playing on the Left side as he could be playing on the Right side. That said, I still think he will be better than many Right side DE’s in the league. He still has ‘gas in the tank.’ Although he hasn’t registered many sacks yet, he is still impacting the game with his smart, head’s up play. We had a need. He was available. It was a good trade.

Vedder:  If you could change one thing now to improve the Redskins even further, what would that be?

Warmontco:  I had to think about this for a minute. In my mind, we need the biggest improvement in our Punt Return game.  Randle-El has been effective in the past, but I believe that either he needs to do it exclusively without playing receiver, or the coaches need to allow someone else to do it. I don’t think any team is afraid of punting to us because Randle-El is not the threat that he may once have been.

Vedder:  I think the Redskins shocked the NFL last week with their performance and victory against the Dallas Cowboys.  When the 2008 Redskins season is over, do you think you and other Skins fans will look back and say that this was the game that set the tone for the rest of the year?  Are you worried now that the Redskins won this game, they will be content with their achievement and ‘fall asleep at the wheel’ for less provocative match-ups?

Warmontco:  No such thing in the NFC East, with one exception. Last year, the New York Giants benefited from a goal line stand against the Redskins. That one game instilled a sense of renewed determination and the proper mindset which allowed them to win it all. That exception aside, and generally speaking, I don’t believe any one game between NFC rivals amounts to season changing trends. However, if T.O. implodes in Dallas, as recent comments and indicators suggest, then we may all sit back and look at last weeks game as the one that took the heart out of the Cowboys.

Vedder:  What match-ups this week favor each team?  What concerns do you have as a Redskins fan playing against Philly?

Warmontco:  There is no other team in the NFC East that concerns me more than the BEagles. The match-ups are across the board. Our offense against the BEagle defense, and vice versa. I believe this will be a very defensive ‘flavored’ match-up. That said; it will be fun for me to watch the match-up on the outside between DeSean Jackson and our secondary, in particular LaRon Landry who will cover against the deep pass. Landry is only a step or two slower than Jackson. But, he can bring the pain and make any receiver second guess how much to extend for the ball. 

Vedder:   What is your prediction for this week’s heated match-up between my beloved Philadelphia Eagles and your stinky, smelly Redskins?

Warmontco:  I’m an optimist. And when it comes to the Redskins, I’m a biased optimist. Redskins win 13-7.  

Vedder:  Thanks for joining us today Warmontco.  I have one final thing to say to you as we look forward to Sunday’s game:  “”E-A-G-L-E-S!!  EAGLES!!”

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The Eagles and Bears fought out a tough, competitive game with the Bears doing a better job of taking opportunity of some turnovers and earning the win.

1^st Quarter

The Eagles received the ball first to open the game.  The Eagles went 3 and out and were forced to punt after being sacked on 3^rd down by Bears Safety Daniel Manning.  On the Bears’ first offensive possession, they marched right down the field ending the drive with a Touchdown strike to Tight End Greg Olsen, who beat Eagles LB Chris Gocong in the endzone.

On the Eagles next possession, QB Donovan McNabb came out on fire, standing tall in the pocket, hitting rookie WR DeSean Jackson on multiple big plays including a 22 yard TD making the score 7-7.  Jackson also had a big run on a reverse, helping set up the Eagles’ first TD.

2^nd Quarter

On a Bears’ possession, they were forced to punt.  A Bears’ 38 yard punt was muffed by DeSean Jackson at the Eagles 24 yard line.  2 Plays later, Bears QB Kyle Orton found WR Marty Booker open in the end zone for a 23-yard Touchdown breaking the tie.  The Bears led 14-7.

The Eagles offense responded on their next possession by marching down the field.  WR Reggie Brown had multiple catches helping to get The Eagles down into The Bears’ Red Zone.  RB Correll Buckhalter then took a screen pass from McNabb 19 yards down to the Bears 1 yard line.  Buckhalter then took the next carry and plunged into the end-zone making the score 14-14.

On another possession, The Bears capped off a 60 yard drive with a 20 yard TD to KR/WR Devin Hester where The Bears took the lead 21-14 at half-time. 

3^rd Quarter

The Bears received the ball to start the 3^rd quarter and were forced to punt after a few plays.  The Bears punted the ball down inside the Eagles 10 yard line where McNabb through a costly interception with RB Correll Buckhalter getting hurt during the interception return.

Inside the Eagles 20 yard line, on the 2^nd play after the turnover, Bears QB Kyle Orton forced an ill-advised pass into the end-zone and right into the arms of Eagles Safety Quintin Mikell.  The Eagles defense gave the Eagles offense back the ball where the score still remained Bears 21, Eagles 14.

On the next possession, the Eagles went 3 and out and P Sav Rocca sent a booming punt deep into Bears’ territory where KR Devin Hester let it go over his head where he finally scooped up the ball and ran backwards, being downed at his own 4 yard line.

The Eagles defense stuffed the Bears down at the Bears goal-line forcing the Bears 3 and out.  On 1^st down, McNabb missed on an attempted pass to WR Greg Lewis.  With 3^rd string RB Lorenzo Booker in for injured RB Correll Buckhalter, Booker was creamed for a 3 yard loss on a screen play.  The Eagles failed to convert on 3^rd down with a pass to TE Brent Celek.  On 4^th down, K David Akers missed by dinking the upright of the goal post, giving the Bears back the ball with decent field position.

On the first play of the Bears’ next possession, Eagles DE Trent Cole sacked and stripped QB Kyle Orton forcing a fumble recovered by LB Omar Gaither who returned it to the Bears 28 yard line.

Almost giving up on the running game, the Eagles moved the ball inside the red zone, sometimes using 4 receivers in the formation.  On 2^nd down and 4 from the Bears 10, McNabb and the Eagles tried some trickery with a shovel pass to WR Jason Avant who took the ball down to the Bears’ 2 while picking up the first down.  On first down, McNabb rolled right, miss-firing on a pass in the end-zone to WR Hank Baskett.  On 2^nd down, McNabb tripped coming out from center and lost 4 yards.  With 3^rd and goal, The Eagles threw an incomplete pass in the end zone, bringing out K David Akers for another field goal attempt.  The Eagles cut the lead to 21-17 after Akers hit the 24 yard field goal.

The Bears responded with a Devin Hester kick return all the way to mid-field with a 51 yard kick return.  The Bears squandered the good field position, ending the 3 and out with a sack by Eagles DE J. Parker.

Upon the next Eagles possession, Eagles RB Correll Buckhalter returned to the Eagles backfield, carrying on first down for no gain.  The Eagles were unproductive, going 3 and out on this possession as well.  The Eagles were forced to punt and on the Bears very next offensive play, Bears RB Kevin Jones fumbled the ball, with it recovered by Eagles LB Stewart Bradley.

4^th Quarter

The Eagles ended the 3^rd quarter with a nifty reverse run to WR DeSean Jackson, who took the ball down to the Bears 15-yard line.  McNabb was sacked on the 1^st play of the 4^th quarter, by Bears LB H. Hillenmeyer.  The Eagles failed again to take advantage of the turnover and were forced for a David Akers field goal, cutting the Bears’ lead to 1 point at 21-20.

The Bears responded with finally their 1^st down of the 2^nd half and moved the ball down to the Eagles 24-yard line.  They stalled there and settled for a 41-yard field goal by K Robbie Gould.  The score was now 24-20, in the Bears’ favor.

The Eagles responded by marching down the field with a nice mix of runs by Buckhalter and pass plays by McNabb.  With 3:40 left in the game, the Eagles offense ran out of gas after calling a time out to discuss the next play.  On a crucial 4^th and goal from the 1, Buckhalter was stuffed by the Bears and their swarming defense, turning over the ball back to the Bears.

Taking the ball at their own 1-yard line, The Bears successfully moved the ball, gaining 1^st downs and making The Eagles burn up their time-outs.   The Eagles were successful in forcing the Bears to punt, but it was too little, too late.  The Eagles got the ball back with 17 seconds left after a DeSean Jackson punt return.  The Eagles ran one last play to WR Reggie Brown.  Brown didn’t get out of bounds and the game ended with the Bears winning 24-20.

Wrap-Up

• Bears QB Kyle Orton threw 3 first-half TD passes for a career high.
• Eagles WR DeSean Jackson caught his first NFL TD in his career.
• Eagles RB Brian Westbrook, TE L.J. Smith, and OG Shawn Andrews did not play.
• The Eagles Defense held RB Brian Forte to just 43 yards rushing, however, Forte also had 42 yards receiving.

NFL.com Game Center post game is attached.

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

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There are many tangibles that make this game between The Philadelphia Eagles and The Chicago Bears an interesting match-up.  Will Eagles RB Brian Westbrook play?  Will Eagles QB Donovan McNabb play?  Can you imagine the Eagles high flying offense without both of its two key pieces?  Which Chicago Bears defense will show up Sunday night?  Will it be the Bears defense that went to Indy and squashed the high octane Colts offense?  Or will it be the Bears defense that last week gave up huge passing yards last week to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home?  We won’t know until Sunday night but let’s take a peak at how the Eagles offense could match-up against the Bears defense:

The Eagles offensive line will have to set the tone for the game.  The Bears have talented players who function well in their aggressive scheme.  The key offensively for the Eagles will to be to try to neutralize DT Tommie Harris, DE Alex Brown, LB Lance Briggs, and MLB Brian Urlacher.  When these four players are in their groove; making plays, being disruptive, and swarming the ball; the rest of the Bears defense feeds off of them and makes plays.  If the Eagles can keep these guys off balance more times than not, then they will have opportunities to move the ball down field, keeping the Bears defense and the field, and wearing them down.

Assuming Westbrook does not play but McNabb does, the Eagles will have to rely more on the pass.  Backup RB Correll Buckhalter is a solid replacement for Westbrook.  He will be able to get his nose in there and run hard for some extra yards after contact, but he doesn’t have the speed and skill-set to be a threat the way Westbrook would be against the Bears.  I expect the Eagles to come out trying to mix up the run and pass, keeping the Bears defense honest, and then open up the passing game and try to take advantage of the Bears defense the way Tampa Bay’s passing attack did last week.

With that thought process, the Eagles receivers and tight ends will need to be consistent and not have one of those games where they are looking over their shoulders, dropping key passes and making constant mistakes.  The Bears have a very underrated but talented player in CB Charles Tillman.  I would expect the Eagles to come to the line of scrimmage, find where Tillman is, and throw to whoever he is not covering.  I also expect the Eagles to game plan around the thought process that the Bears will bring the heat with some blitz packages that might make McNabb have to look for the hot read and get rid of the ball quickly.  If the Eagles can get the right match-ups and pick up on the Bears’ blitz, it could mean a big play or two for DeSean Jackson or maybe even Tight End L.J. Smith down the middle of the field. 

Last week, Tampa was successful passing the ball, taking advantage of open space that was there because the Bears were using blitz packages.  Quick hitters and quick slant plays might be the best way for the Eagles to beat the Bears aggressive style of play and help bring our record to 3-1.  Tomorrow, we will take a peak at how the Eagles defense matches up against QB Kyle Orton, RB Matt Forte, and the rest of the Bears offense.

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

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Feel free to rip me a new one in the comments section if you don’t agree but I think this is the perfect time for the Eagles to make a trade.  After 3 weeks, the Eagles have proven that they are a contender.  Unfortunately, in the NFC, the Cowboys, Giants, and Packers also proved they are contenders.  Worse, the Cowboys and Giants are in the same division as the Eagles, the NFC East.  Therefore, every game means something more this year than ever and the window of opportunity is wide open.  With the AFC so far looking like the lower of the two conferences, if the Eagles can make a move, they can further position themselves to win the Super Bowl.

Next year, the Eagles have two first round picks.  One was acquired last year in a draft deal with the Carolina Panthers.  Assuming major injuries can be avoided, the Eagles have the core of players and talent to win now.  There’s no point in keeping both of these two number one picks for next year.  Those picks can certainly help them in the future but it cannot help us win the Super Bowl this year. 

Hurry up and make the phone call to Detroit Lions GM Matt Millen before he is fired.  The Lions have been known to make some bad trades in the past (see Denver trading RB Tatum Bell and OT George Foster for CB Dre Bly as an example).  WR Roy Williams is struggling in Detroit’s new offensive scheme.  He can become a free agent at the end of the season.  With the Lions starting the season 0-3, they might as well blow up the team and get value for what they have now before they lose Williams and get nothing in return.  They would be crazy not too.  Offer a number one pick to Detroit for WR Roy Williams; conditional on him signing a long-term and cap-friendly contract with the Birds.

Yes, I know, receivers take time to learn the West Coast Offense.  Don’t tell rookie sensation WR DeSean Jackson that.  Let’s see how Roy Williams fits in.  Heck, use him as a decoy and let him run fly routes all game long.  Yes, I know, Head Coach Andy Reid insists we are fine with our current core of receivers and he does not value the receiver position as highly as other positions.  Hello Coach Reid.  The one year we had a stud receiver, we lost the Super Bowl by three points!  QB Donovan McNabb had his best year that season.  Can you imagine Roy Williams lining up with a healthy Kevin Curtis, DeSean Jackson, and any other combination of Reggie Brown, Hank Baskett, or Jason Avant?  The formation possibilities would be endless.  Reid could scheme and confuse opposing defenses by sending RB Brian Westbrook in motion, out of the backfield.  Having all these weapons on the field at all times makes it easier for others including Tight End L.J. Smith.  Having all these receiving threats would open up running lanes for Westbrook as the opposing defenses would have to further respect the pass.  It would give McNabb more choices and make the offense more of a threat.  In theory, a better offense gives us a better defense as they would not have that added pressure of keeping opposing offensive teams’ scoring down as they had to do this past Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

There’s no time like the present.  How much longer will the likes of Jon Runyan, Tra Thomas, and Brian Dawkins be around, playing at a high level?  McNabb could be gone after this season.  This city and the fans deserve a championship.  This core group of players on this current team deserves a chance at the Super Bowl.  It is now up to Reid and the front office to pull the trigger and make the move.  After all, half the time, number one picks wind up as busts.  The upside of the trade is worth the risk.  Do it.

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

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