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.

Share This

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!!”

Share This

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!!”

Share This

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!!”

Share This

Share This

I know, I know. You looked at the title and said to yourself: “Michoel Botwinick, you heartless S.O.B., Kevin Curtis is unquestionably the Eagles best wide receiver and is extremely vital to the team.

But is he?

True — he’s been the Eagles best wideout since T.O., but what exactly has he done in terms of creating match up problems, or stretching the field for D-Mac? While Donte Stallworth didn’t exactly put up the numbers that Curtis did, he did make the other receivers next to him better, and why? Because he spread out the field, created match up problems, and generally took some of the pressure off his fellow wide receivers. Remember, that was the year in which Reggie Brown had a breakout season.

In other words, he made the whole corps better, something that Curtis did not do.

Furthermore, Curtis would be a second or third wide receiver with most teams, where he be largely ineffective. Remember St. Louis when he played behind Torry Holt? And those years were supposed to be the prime of his career.

But still, what does Curtis’s injury do in terms of helping the Eagles’ already shoddy wide receiver corps? Here are the top three possibilities:

1. First of all, DeSean Jackson will have to be utilized more. I know Andy Reid has an unpleasant habit of not playing rookies, but how can you ignore this guy?! Already a standout wide receiver at Cal — in addition to his electrifying punt returns — he is clearly the play maker that McNabb has been asking for. And the more touches that D-Jax gets, well we’ll see… But I see great things coming.

2. Reggie Brown came to the Eagles with high hopes three years ago, but hasn’t quite been what he was cracked up to be when the Eagles drafted him in the second round in 2004. He did, however, have a great year in 2006, playing behind Stallworth, but received diminished attention with the arrival of Curtis in the next year. Now we will see what he can do in a starring role, and if his college tapes prove correct, he may be in for an excellent year. The talent is definitely there, that’s for sure.

3. Unless you hadn’t been listening to Philly sports radio around the time of training camp, you may have heard rave reviews about Hank Baskett’s red zone capability. I mean, you look at a guy who is 6′4 and can jump 7 feet high and you see the potential. While he may not be a major factor in the offense other than the red zone, he can definitely be a huge asset in terms of getting 6 points on the board.

The basic premise of these three points is that by the time Kevin Curtis does come back, in about a month or so, Donovan McNabb will have greater confidence in his current set of wide receivers. And then McNabb will depend on Curtis less, spread the field more, and correctly implement the West Coast offense.

And if not…

Well, one of these two things will have to happen:

1. The Eagles will have to finally get a true No. 1 wide receiver. And that’s always a good thing!

2. The Eagles will have to give the ball to Westbrook more. Which, of course, is fine with me, as that would mean a more balanced attack. Just makes you wonder how much longer Westbrook can accommodate being the centerpiece of the Eagles offense…

Or…

The injury plain sucks. Another wasted season. Oh well.

However, with the recent game against the Rams, I doubt any Eagles fan will have to worry about another wasted season. Especially with DeSean Jackson, Hank Baskett, heck, even Greg Lewis playing the way they did! Now lets just see if they can keep it up against the Cowboys…

Share This

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.

Share This

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!!”

Share This

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.

Share This