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Philadelphia Eagles Bloggers Wanted

October 31, 2008 By: Keith Category: Die Hard Eagles Fan, NFC East, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles No Comments →

As you can see by the lack of posts, Vedder resigned as a Eagles Blogger on Die Hard Eagles Fan. I wish that was not the case, but it is what it is. Even if he were still with us, we would be looking for more Eagles Bloggers to improve upon what he started. With him not here anymore, we need to start all over.

Die Hard Eagles Fan is looking to add two more Eagles Bloggers. Die Hard Sports Fan is trying to create the world’s greatest Philadelphia Eagles Blog/Fansite, and we need more creative Eagles Bloggers to join Die Hard Eagles Fan to achieve our objective. We are looking for one Lead Blogger to ensure that everything is covered and nothing is duplicated and one Eagles Blogger. For a more extensive overview of the position, click on the “Write for Us” link in the “Menu” section of the left sidebar. If you have any questions then feel free to contact me by clicking on the “Contact Us” link in the “Menu” section of the left sidebar.

This is definitely an Eagles Owned City!

October 08, 2008 By: Vedder Category: Die Hard Eagles Fan, Directv, NFL Sunday Ticket, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Phillies, Washington Redskins No Comments →

On Sunday, by 12 PM, I had my three televisions in the living room set up.  With the two extra co-axel cables running through my living room, down through the garage roof, and through the wall, and the bedroom DirecTV receivers out in the living room and successfully connected to everything, I was pumped and ready to go for the 1 PM games with of course the Redskins-Eagles game on the 40 inch High Definition TV with the sound blasting.  The other televisions would be muted but there for me to enjoy the rest of what the NFL had in store for the day.  Yes indeed, the NFL Ticket on DTV is better than sliced bread.

Then the door rang and it was my Dad.  After all these years, he and I still watch each and every Eagles game together.  Our weekly tradition was only temporarily interrupted when I was away to college (WE ARE!!  PENN STATE!!) and didn’t make it home on Eagles game day weekends.  He walked in, said hello to the dog, put his stuff down, and sat in his spot.  He looked up and said “good you have the Eagles game on the big screen, but can you put one of the other tv’s to the Phils game?”

Huh, what?!  It’s October.  The leaves are changing colors.  The weather is getting cooler.  Its week 5 of the NFL and he wants me to reduce my NFL intake by 33% for baseball?!  I am a Die Hard Eagles Fan.  It didn’t even occur to me that yes the Philadelphia Phillies are in the playoffs, but to watch the game while Eagles football was on?

I gave in.  This way, we didn’t have to flip back and forth between the two channels on the big screen and risk missing an Eagles play or two as the channels takes forever to flash back.  However, it turns out I am not the only one that feels this way.

The Eagles had a week 5 regular season game the same time the Phillies played for the winning game of their first playoff series.  It turns out that the Eagles blew the Phillies away television viewing ratings wise.  The Eagles drew a rating of 22.7 while the Phillies, again in a playoff game, drew a rating of 13.8.

My first thought was wow.  But that quickly dissipated and my true feelings are shining through.  I knew it.  This place is Eagles country and will always be.  Even if we are 2-3 and the Phillies are now in the NCLS.  Yes, it is definitely Eagles country!

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

Maybe It Just Wasn’t Meant To Be….

October 07, 2008 By: Vedder Category: Brian Westbrook, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Die Hard Eagles Fan, Donovan McNabb, NFC East, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Redskins No Comments →

Over the years, I have learned that certain things just weren’t meant to be.  As a kid, I always wanted a brand new baseball glove.  I played every season for years and always used one my parents bought at a yard sale.  It had to be 40 years old at the minimum.  My little sister played softball one year with a brand new glove.  A new glove for me to be proud of just wasn’t meant to be.  In college, I spent a majority of my one class daydreaming about a believably good-looking girl that sat a row ahead of me, wondering what she looked like without all those annoying and frustrating clothes on but never found out.  It just wasn’t meant to be.  Life’s lessons never end because on Monday, I just realized another thing in my life that is not meant to be.

After suffering through a painful, horrific, and humiliating loss to the Washington Redskins Sunday, and trying to recoup from the loss, the hits just keep coming.  Philadelphia Eagles RB Brian Westbrook now has two fractured ribs.  I don’t know who is in more pain; Westbrook or us Die Hard Eagles Fans.

Brian Westbrook is the heart and soul of the Eagles offense.  No offense to QB Donovan McNabb but Westbrook is anything and everything to our offense.  He instills fear in the minds of opposing defenses.  Other teams have to account for him on every play.  They have to spend all week game planning for how to stop him as a multi-level threat. 

We know what the Eagles can do with and without “Westy”.  We saw that for the 2nd half of the Steelers game and unfortunately the entire Bears game.  With a current record of 2-3 and a 0-2 NFC East division record, can there be any worse time for this injury?  My hopes and dreams of an Eagles Super bowl are fading by the second.  Maybe it is just one more thing in our lives that is not meant to be.

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

Redskins Vs. Eagles: A Die Hard Eagles Fan’s perspective

October 02, 2008 By: Vedder Category: Die Hard Eagles Fan, NFC East, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins No Comments →

Die Hard Redskins Fan, “Warmontco” took time this week to interview me where we discussed the Eagles as well as their Sunday match-up against the Washington Redskins.  He asked some good questions that would be great questions to be asked to you, the Die Hard Eagles Fan, as well.  So feel free to click here, check out his interview, my answers, and then let me know how you would answer things differently by leaving feedback on this post here (below).

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

An in-depth conversation with Die Hard Redskins Fan blogger, Warmontco:

October 01, 2008 By: Vedder Category: Chris Horton, Dallas Cowboys, DeSean Jackson, Die Hard Eagles Fan, Die Hard Sports Fan, Jason Campbell, Jason Taylor, NFC East, NFL, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redsins No Comments →

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 2nd 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!!”

Baskett, Jackson, and Lewis: The Fearsome Threesome

September 09, 2008 By: MichoelBotwinick Category: DeSean Jackson, Die Hard Eagles Fan, Donovan McNabb, Greg Lewis, Hank Baskett, Kevin Curtis, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Reggie Brown No Comments →

Arguably, no fans are as loud as Eagles fans, and these past few weeks were no exception. It is indisputable that no fans screamed louder, gnashed their teeth in frustration, or publicly ripped their team more than Eagles fans did this past off-season in their vain attempt at a No. 1 wide receiver.

How ironic.

Now, with Week One in the books, we can look back and laugh. Because, which ever way you slice it, here are the facts:

1. The Eagles were the only team in the league to have three receivers who each had 100 yard games.

2. It was only the second time in franchise history the Eagles’ wide receivers accomplished such a feat.

3. It was the only time in league history a combination consisting of or anything like two undrafted free agents and a rookie reached that prestigious goal.

4. It was also the first time a trio of these likes each had a play for over 45 yards - Hank Baskett for 90, DeSean Jackson for 47, and Greg Lewis for 76.

Wow.

Wasn’t it just a couple of day ago that we were complaining about the Eagles wide receivers? Wasn’t it us who said they had no big-play capability? So much for that. So what if it was against the St. Louis Rams, a team with one of the worst pass defenses in the league. It won’t be the worst team the Eagles will face this season, nor do they have the worst pass defense.

Now, with the forthcoming returns of Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis, the Eagles’ wideouts suddenly become a position of depth, a noticeable strength. And hopefully they can prove themselves once more against Dallas, when it really counts, and chase away any last shreds of doubt in the minds of Eagles fans about the current Eagles’ wide receiving corps.

Its now officially “Cowboys Week”!!

September 09, 2008 By: Vedder Category: Asante Samuel, Brian Westbrook, Dallas Cowboys, David Akers, DeSean Jackson, Die Hard Eagles Fan, Donovan McNabb, L.J. Smith, Lito Sheppard, NFC, NFC East, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles No Comments →

compliments of www.26streetstudio.com

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!!”

Soaring High: Eagles Dominate Rams

September 08, 2008 By: Vedder Category: Andy Reid, Asante Samuel, Brian Dawkins, Brian Westbrook, Dallas Cowboys, Darren Howard, DeSean Jackson, Die Hard Eagles Fan, Donovan McNabb, Hank Baskett, Jerome McDougle, Kevin Kolb, L.J. Smith, Lito Sheppard, NFC East, Philadelphia Eagles, Quintin Demps, Quintin Mikell, Sav Rocca, Sheldon Brown, Stl Louis Rams No Comments →

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 1st 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 1st 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 4th 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!!”

E-A-G-L-E-S!! EAGLES!! Official Launch of Die Hard Eagles Fan Blog

August 30, 2008 By: Vedder Category: Die Hard Eagles Fan, NFC East, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles No Comments →

Hello Die Hard Eagles Fans! Today is the official launch of Die Hard Sports Fan’s Eagles blog site. I welcome you as well as invite you to check back every day for your daily dose of Philadelphia Eagles discussions, tidbits, and news. On this blog, we will passionately review and disect our beloved Birds inside and out, upside down and all over again. We will live and die Eagles on here, reviewing games, doing previews of upcoming games, discuss where things went right and even where things went wrong (hopefully things go perfect and we never have to review the wrong things). We will look forward, look back, and talk anything and everything that is Philadelphia Eagles related. We will look at the rosters, the offensive and defensive strategies, and even what potential impact various Eagles players will have for fantasy football leagues.

In closing, please come back daily. Feel free to agree or disagree with me. Leave your comments. Send the link to your die hard Eagles friends and family. Invite them to our family as this is the place to be all season long and during the off-season for The Philadelphia Eagles. With that said, “E-A-G-L-E-S!! EAGLES!!”