The Eagles may not have played today, thanks to the snow that is currently burying my car, but they still managed to clinch the NFC East when the Giants lost to the Green Bay Packers. New York's 45-17 loss clinched the division for the Eagles for the first time since 2006 and gives the Eagles six division crowns in the last ten seasons.
To be honest, this might be the most improbable division championship yet. Save for the Jeff Garcia season when he took over for Donovan McNabb, no one had the Eagles winning the division this year. Kevin Kolb was starting for the first time with a young team that was rebuilding, not not that much was expected. Well, this year started with the Green Bay Packers, and now, thanks to the Packers and Michael Vick, the Eagles are NFC East champions. Green Bay knocked Kevin Kolb out of the first game of the season, and Vick came in to replace him. Vick played well against the Packers and Detroit Lions the week after that, and the rest of the season has gone from there. Kolb is sitting on the bench, and Vick is headed to the Pro Bowl and a top three finish in the MVP voting. Plus, the Eagles are headed to the playoffs once again.
There's nothing set in stone yet for the Eagles, because they could finish anywhere from the three seed all the way up to the top team in the NFC, if the Falcons lose to the Saints and Panthers, and the Bears drop their last game of the season to the Packers. As unlikely as it sounds, it could happen. If it does, it would be the capper to one of the most improbable seasons that I can remember. The Eagles need to get one of the two first round byes, though. If they don't, they'll play the Packers or Giants, and that's not a game that many people want to see.
For now, it's time to celebrate in the snow. The Eagles are champions of the division for the first time in four seasons and are at least going to host one playoff game. That's reason enough right there.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Eagles Aftermath: Eagles-38, Giants-31
What happened?
Down 31-10 with eight minutes to play, the Eagles scored 28 points, the last of which came on a DeSean Jackson punt return for a touchdown as time expired. The win puts the Eagles in control of the NFC East with two games to play.
The Good:
Michael Vick started slowly, but picked things up as the game went along, completing 21 of 35 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran the ball ten times for 130 yards and another touchdown.
LeSean McCoy didn't get many carries, but he still did well for what he got. He carried the ball ten times for 64 yards and caught four passes for 13 yards.
Jeremy Maclin had seven catches for 59 yards and two touchdowns, giving him ten touchdowns on the season.
Brent Celek had a huge 65 yard touchdown catch that started the comeback in the fourth quarter.
DeSean Jackson only had three catches for 52 yards, but his punt return for a touchdown to end the game was the first ever walk off punt return in NFL history.
The Eagles held Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw to a combined 100 yards on 31 carries.
Jamar Chaney played very well in his first ever start, getting 16 tackles and playing an overall solid game.
The Bad:
The Eagles played horribly in the first half, as they were outgained in yards 222 to 74.
Vick was sacked three times and was hit several more times as well.
Nate Allen was lost for the season with a torn patella tendon.
The Eagles had three turnovers, including fumbles by DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, though neither one was really a fumble.
The Ugly:
Dimitri Patterson got burned all day long by Eli Manning. He was targeted on every one of Manning's four touchdown passes. It was not a good game.
Andy Reid didn't challenge the fumble by DeSean Jackson that wasn't a fumble, and decided to call passing plays in the last 30 seconds of the first half. Both of those mistakes led to touchdowns by the Giants and almost put the Eagles down for the count.
The Breakdown:
It's been almost three days, and I still can't believe what happened up in East Rutherford last Sunday. In the Eagles first game in the New Meadowlands, they christened it with a new Miracle. Down 31-10 with just eight minutes to play, the Eagles got big play after big play from Michael Vick and the offense and had a little help from the Giants on special teams to complete the most amazing comeback possibly in Eagles history.
The fourth quarter was simply amazing. Not only did it give the Eagles sole possession of first place in the NFC East, but it put the Giants on the ropes for even making the playoffs. The most important thing is that the Eagles now control their own destiny. With just one win in their final two games, the Eagles will clinch their first NFC East crown since the 2006 season, when Jeff Garcia was quarterbacking the team. Nothing is decided yet, but with home games against Minnesota and Dallas left, things might be wrapped up shortly.
There's nothing else you can say about Michael Vick this season. The man is on another level. New York shut him down for 52 minutes, but it wasn't enough. Just like the first matchup, the Giants brought blitz after blitz at Vick, but this time, Vick was able to get through and run the ball against the New York defense. He destroyed them in the fourth quarter on two of the scoring drives, and his four yard touchdown run put the Eagles back to within a touchdown. Vick was able to do things with his arm as well, as he hit Jeremy Maclin for two touchdowns, and his 65 yard strike to Brent Celek started the entire comeback. Without that first long touchdown, there might not have been enough time for the Eagles to even score three more times in regulation. It's the quick strike ability of this offense that makes them so dangerous, even against some of the better defenses in the NFL. There's not a game that this team is out of.
You have to give love to the special teams as well. First came the onside kick with the Eagles down 31-17. The Giants weren't prepared for it, and Riley Cooper did a great job making sure that the ball went ten yards before he touched it. The Eagles would score on that drive, cutting the lead to 31-24. Then came the last play of the game. This one falls more on the Giants than the Eagles, because, thanks to a high snap and a poor kick, the ball came right to DeSean Jackson, which was pretty much the one place that Tom Coughlin didn't want the ball to go. The kick was so bad that Jackson had time to fumble it, pick it up and find a hole to run through before the Giants even made it down the field to try and tackle him. Jason Avant had a huge block at midfield, and that was all Jackson would need. Did he have to start celebrating at the 25 yard line? Of course not, but with the smack that the Giants were talking during the week and for most of the game, I don't blame him. This game was a likely once in a lifetime comeback, so it's fine to showboat a little bit.
The end of the game was the most amazing, improbable thing that any Eagles fan has seen since the original Miracle at the Meadowlands back in 1978, but you have to remember that the Eagles were outplayed in this game for three and a half quarters, and there are some things to be worried about. Eli Manning picked on Dimitri Patterson all day long, and Mario Manningham worked Patterson for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Manning's other two touchdown passes also came on Patterson's side of the field, as the Giants basically ignored Asante Samuel and focused on the rest of the Philadelphia secondary, which isn't the best in the NFL, that much is proven. That secondary is going to be tested even more now that Nate Allen is out for the year with a torn patella tendon in his knee. Allen was having a very solid rookie season and was looking like the safety of the future for the Eagles, but now he's got a long road to recovery, and seventh round pick Kurt Coleman will be starting the rest of the way. Coleman did well in a start for Allen earlier in the year, so he already has experience, but there's a reason he was a seventh round pick. I think anyone would rather have Allen in there, but the Eagles have played through plenty of injuries this year, and they can do it again.
For the first three and a half quarters on Sunday, this was the ugliest game that the Eagles had played all year. Andy Reid made questionable call after questionable call, including passing the ball at the 15 yard line with under a minute to play in the first half, and not challenging a DeSean Jackson fumble in the fourth quarter. Both those mistakes led to touchdowns by New York and really should have cost the Eagles the game. If not for that amazing comeback, every single Eagles fan would be bashing Reid inside and out right now. Thankfully, Michael Vick made things happen and the defense came up with big plays when they needed to. Rather than have to write about needing help to get into the playoffs, the Eagles now get to enjoy the inside track to the NFC East title and a possible first round bye if things go their way.
There's just two weeks left in the regular season, and the Eagles have two home games left to play. This Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings, with or without Brett Favre, come into town. This one's for the division crown, so hopefully, there's no let down or a need for a fourth straight fourth quarter comeback.
Down 31-10 with eight minutes to play, the Eagles scored 28 points, the last of which came on a DeSean Jackson punt return for a touchdown as time expired. The win puts the Eagles in control of the NFC East with two games to play.
The Good:
Michael Vick started slowly, but picked things up as the game went along, completing 21 of 35 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran the ball ten times for 130 yards and another touchdown.
LeSean McCoy didn't get many carries, but he still did well for what he got. He carried the ball ten times for 64 yards and caught four passes for 13 yards.
Jeremy Maclin had seven catches for 59 yards and two touchdowns, giving him ten touchdowns on the season.
Brent Celek had a huge 65 yard touchdown catch that started the comeback in the fourth quarter.
DeSean Jackson only had three catches for 52 yards, but his punt return for a touchdown to end the game was the first ever walk off punt return in NFL history.
The Eagles held Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw to a combined 100 yards on 31 carries.
Jamar Chaney played very well in his first ever start, getting 16 tackles and playing an overall solid game.
The Bad:
The Eagles played horribly in the first half, as they were outgained in yards 222 to 74.
Vick was sacked three times and was hit several more times as well.
Nate Allen was lost for the season with a torn patella tendon.
The Eagles had three turnovers, including fumbles by DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, though neither one was really a fumble.
The Ugly:
Dimitri Patterson got burned all day long by Eli Manning. He was targeted on every one of Manning's four touchdown passes. It was not a good game.
Andy Reid didn't challenge the fumble by DeSean Jackson that wasn't a fumble, and decided to call passing plays in the last 30 seconds of the first half. Both of those mistakes led to touchdowns by the Giants and almost put the Eagles down for the count.
The Breakdown:
It's been almost three days, and I still can't believe what happened up in East Rutherford last Sunday. In the Eagles first game in the New Meadowlands, they christened it with a new Miracle. Down 31-10 with just eight minutes to play, the Eagles got big play after big play from Michael Vick and the offense and had a little help from the Giants on special teams to complete the most amazing comeback possibly in Eagles history.
The fourth quarter was simply amazing. Not only did it give the Eagles sole possession of first place in the NFC East, but it put the Giants on the ropes for even making the playoffs. The most important thing is that the Eagles now control their own destiny. With just one win in their final two games, the Eagles will clinch their first NFC East crown since the 2006 season, when Jeff Garcia was quarterbacking the team. Nothing is decided yet, but with home games against Minnesota and Dallas left, things might be wrapped up shortly.
There's nothing else you can say about Michael Vick this season. The man is on another level. New York shut him down for 52 minutes, but it wasn't enough. Just like the first matchup, the Giants brought blitz after blitz at Vick, but this time, Vick was able to get through and run the ball against the New York defense. He destroyed them in the fourth quarter on two of the scoring drives, and his four yard touchdown run put the Eagles back to within a touchdown. Vick was able to do things with his arm as well, as he hit Jeremy Maclin for two touchdowns, and his 65 yard strike to Brent Celek started the entire comeback. Without that first long touchdown, there might not have been enough time for the Eagles to even score three more times in regulation. It's the quick strike ability of this offense that makes them so dangerous, even against some of the better defenses in the NFL. There's not a game that this team is out of.
You have to give love to the special teams as well. First came the onside kick with the Eagles down 31-17. The Giants weren't prepared for it, and Riley Cooper did a great job making sure that the ball went ten yards before he touched it. The Eagles would score on that drive, cutting the lead to 31-24. Then came the last play of the game. This one falls more on the Giants than the Eagles, because, thanks to a high snap and a poor kick, the ball came right to DeSean Jackson, which was pretty much the one place that Tom Coughlin didn't want the ball to go. The kick was so bad that Jackson had time to fumble it, pick it up and find a hole to run through before the Giants even made it down the field to try and tackle him. Jason Avant had a huge block at midfield, and that was all Jackson would need. Did he have to start celebrating at the 25 yard line? Of course not, but with the smack that the Giants were talking during the week and for most of the game, I don't blame him. This game was a likely once in a lifetime comeback, so it's fine to showboat a little bit.
The end of the game was the most amazing, improbable thing that any Eagles fan has seen since the original Miracle at the Meadowlands back in 1978, but you have to remember that the Eagles were outplayed in this game for three and a half quarters, and there are some things to be worried about. Eli Manning picked on Dimitri Patterson all day long, and Mario Manningham worked Patterson for 113 yards and two touchdowns. Manning's other two touchdown passes also came on Patterson's side of the field, as the Giants basically ignored Asante Samuel and focused on the rest of the Philadelphia secondary, which isn't the best in the NFL, that much is proven. That secondary is going to be tested even more now that Nate Allen is out for the year with a torn patella tendon in his knee. Allen was having a very solid rookie season and was looking like the safety of the future for the Eagles, but now he's got a long road to recovery, and seventh round pick Kurt Coleman will be starting the rest of the way. Coleman did well in a start for Allen earlier in the year, so he already has experience, but there's a reason he was a seventh round pick. I think anyone would rather have Allen in there, but the Eagles have played through plenty of injuries this year, and they can do it again.
For the first three and a half quarters on Sunday, this was the ugliest game that the Eagles had played all year. Andy Reid made questionable call after questionable call, including passing the ball at the 15 yard line with under a minute to play in the first half, and not challenging a DeSean Jackson fumble in the fourth quarter. Both those mistakes led to touchdowns by New York and really should have cost the Eagles the game. If not for that amazing comeback, every single Eagles fan would be bashing Reid inside and out right now. Thankfully, Michael Vick made things happen and the defense came up with big plays when they needed to. Rather than have to write about needing help to get into the playoffs, the Eagles now get to enjoy the inside track to the NFC East title and a possible first round bye if things go their way.
There's just two weeks left in the regular season, and the Eagles have two home games left to play. This Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings, with or without Brett Favre, come into town. This one's for the division crown, so hopefully, there's no let down or a need for a fourth straight fourth quarter comeback.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Eagles Aftermath: Eagles-30, Cowboys-27
What happened?
DeSean Jackson had 210 receiving yards, including a 91 yard touchdown catch, and LeSean McCoy rushed for 149 yards, most of them coming in the fourth quarter as the Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys and remained tied for first place in the NFC East.
The Good:
LeSean McCoy was a beast when the Eagles needed him the most. He carried the ball 16 times for 149 yards, with most of the yards coming in the fourth quarter as the Eagles were trying to run down the clock.
DeSean Jackson played through a foot injury to catch four passes for 210 yards and a touchdown. The 91 yard touchdown catch by Jackson was the longest scoring play from scrimmage in the NFL this season.
Michael Vick had another decent game, completing 16 of 26 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran the ball eight times for 16 yards and a touchdown.
Dimitri Patterson had a big interception in the fourth quarter that led to points.
David Akers was 3/3 on field goal attempts, including a 50 yarder.
Todd Herremans caught his second career touchdown pass.
The Eagles held Dallas to 110 yards on the ground between four ball carriers. Felix Jones led the Cowboys with just 41 yards on 13 carries.
The Bad:
Michael Vick also threw two interceptions and was under pressure for various parts of the game. Even though he only got sacked twice, he was hit far more than that.
Aside from DeSean Jackson, the next leading Philadelphia receiver had just 18 yards.
Dallas made it inside the red zone three times, and scored touchdowns on two of those trips.
The Eagles only went two for four inside the red zone.
Brent Celek went another game without a catch. He has just 30 on the season.
The Ugly:
The Eagles lost both Stewart Bradley and Brandon Graham to injuries. Bradley dislocated his elbow, and Graham tore his ACL, knocking him out for the season.
The Breakdown:
For the second week in a row, the Eagles went into the fourth quarter trailing after having a lead at the half. Once again, Michael Vick was able to lead the offense to two fourth quarter scores, while the defense did just enough for the Eagles to hold on for another win, putting them at 9-4 on the season and keeping them tied with the New York Giants for first place in the NFC East.
Just as they did against the Redskins on Monday Night Football, the Eagles came out and went for a big play on the opening play of the game. The call was just about the same, and the result was similar as well, as DeSean Jackson caught a 60 yard pass from Michael Vick that silenced the Dallas crowd early. Vick later scored on a one yard touchdown run, and while the drive was good, the defense still had to do their job, and once again, they ran into some trouble when it mattered the most.
I have no idea how this defense got like this in such a short period of time. Part of it has to do with how young most of the players are, I'm sure, but then there's just a lack of discipline on that side of the ball. The defense can look very good at periods of time, and believe me, they get key turnovers just about any time that they need them, but then they can have drives where they keep the opposing offense on the field with stupid penalties and blown coverages. Yes, Asante Samuel has missed the last three games, but it's not all on him. It can't just be that. This defense was giving up big plays with Samuel in there. They still had stupid penalties called, and they still gave up a ton of points down in the red zone. Against Dallas, the Eagles allowed two touchdowns inside the 20 yard line, and one from 22 yards away. That can't happen against the better teams in the NFC. Teams like the Bears, Saints, Falcons and yes, the Giants, will kill the Eagles if they can't buckle down in the red zone.
Luckily for the Eagles, they still have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. This past Sunday against Dallas was no exception, as Michael Vick helped move the offense down the field with quick scoring drives that always seemed to come just as the Cowboys were about to take full control of the game. It wasn't exactly how you want a game to be run, with the offense only on the field for three to five minute drives, but as long as they result in points, then there's no problem with it. Dallas had an answer for every receiver that the Eagles had, save for DeSean Jackson. Though he only caught four passes, he averaged 52.5 yards per catch. That's some kind of video game number right there. His 91 yard touchdown catch on what was a quick slant pattern turned the game back around in favor of the Eagles and once again silenced a Dallas crowd that was just about to get back into the game. That's what this offense can do to any team. They can look dead for stretches, but all it takes is one big play, one mistake by the opposing defense, and the game is blown wide open again.
It doesn't even have to be DeSean Jackson that does it. The Eagles also have Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Brent Celek and even Riley Cooper that can make big plays in the passing game. Then, there's LeSean McCoy, who had the biggest game out of everyone on offense this week. McCoy didn't find the end zone, and only had four yards receiving, but it was his ground work at the end of the game that sealed things up for the Eagles. With the Cowboys having just scored with over four minutes to play, the Eagles had a three point lead. There wasn't an Eagles fan alive that wanted the Cowboys to get the ball back, and if you did, then you were insane. Dallas had just driven right downfield, and as tired as the Philadelphia defense looked, another score seemed almost like a formality if the Eagles had to punt again.
Then, McCoy got to work. The only pass play of the entire drive came on the first play, when Vick hit McCoy for a six yard gain. On the next play, McCoy picked up 12 yards for a first down, then got 19 more, moving the ball to midfield and forcing the Cowboys to start using their timeouts. A 13 yard run followed, and after a run for no gain by Jerome Harrison, Vick ran and stayed in bounds for a nine yard gain, setting up a third down and one with the game on the line. In just about every other situation under Andy Reid, the Eagles would have thrown the ball here. For some reason, Reid stuck with his running back, and McCoy picked up six yards and the game was over. I have no idea why the offense called the plays that they did on that drive, but I'm sure as hell glad that they did. That was a drive that didn't result in any points, but was just as satisfying as one that did. It was well run, took four and a half minutes off the clock, and finished off the Cowboys. I wouldn't have it any other way.
The game wasn't without its casualties, though. Stewart Bradley dislocated his elbow, knocking him out for at least a few weeks, if not until the playoffs start, while Brandon Graham tore his ACL, ending his rookie season just as he was getting into a nice groove. Considering the state of the Eagles on defense, these were two injuries that they could not afford to have. Bradley was finally showing the spark that he had two seasons ago before his ACL injury, and Graham was doing well on the defensive line with Trent Cole and Juqua Parker. Parker will have to step in for Graham, while seventh round pick Jamar Chaney will start in place of Bradley. Chaney looked good while playing against Dallas, and now he's had a full week to get ready, but you know that the Giants are going to take shots at him early and often.
This week is the biggest game of the season as the Eagles travel up to East Rutherford to take on the Giants. The winner gets control of the NFC East with just two games to play, and with the NFC playoff picture still looking cloudy, you want to have control of your division. This is the last road game of the year for the Eagles, so hopefully they can continue their run over the Giants and get one step closer to another division crown.
DeSean Jackson had 210 receiving yards, including a 91 yard touchdown catch, and LeSean McCoy rushed for 149 yards, most of them coming in the fourth quarter as the Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys and remained tied for first place in the NFC East.
The Good:
LeSean McCoy was a beast when the Eagles needed him the most. He carried the ball 16 times for 149 yards, with most of the yards coming in the fourth quarter as the Eagles were trying to run down the clock.
DeSean Jackson played through a foot injury to catch four passes for 210 yards and a touchdown. The 91 yard touchdown catch by Jackson was the longest scoring play from scrimmage in the NFL this season.
Michael Vick had another decent game, completing 16 of 26 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran the ball eight times for 16 yards and a touchdown.
Dimitri Patterson had a big interception in the fourth quarter that led to points.
David Akers was 3/3 on field goal attempts, including a 50 yarder.
Todd Herremans caught his second career touchdown pass.
The Eagles held Dallas to 110 yards on the ground between four ball carriers. Felix Jones led the Cowboys with just 41 yards on 13 carries.
The Bad:
Michael Vick also threw two interceptions and was under pressure for various parts of the game. Even though he only got sacked twice, he was hit far more than that.
Aside from DeSean Jackson, the next leading Philadelphia receiver had just 18 yards.
Dallas made it inside the red zone three times, and scored touchdowns on two of those trips.
The Eagles only went two for four inside the red zone.
Brent Celek went another game without a catch. He has just 30 on the season.
The Ugly:
The Eagles lost both Stewart Bradley and Brandon Graham to injuries. Bradley dislocated his elbow, and Graham tore his ACL, knocking him out for the season.
The Breakdown:
For the second week in a row, the Eagles went into the fourth quarter trailing after having a lead at the half. Once again, Michael Vick was able to lead the offense to two fourth quarter scores, while the defense did just enough for the Eagles to hold on for another win, putting them at 9-4 on the season and keeping them tied with the New York Giants for first place in the NFC East.
Just as they did against the Redskins on Monday Night Football, the Eagles came out and went for a big play on the opening play of the game. The call was just about the same, and the result was similar as well, as DeSean Jackson caught a 60 yard pass from Michael Vick that silenced the Dallas crowd early. Vick later scored on a one yard touchdown run, and while the drive was good, the defense still had to do their job, and once again, they ran into some trouble when it mattered the most.
I have no idea how this defense got like this in such a short period of time. Part of it has to do with how young most of the players are, I'm sure, but then there's just a lack of discipline on that side of the ball. The defense can look very good at periods of time, and believe me, they get key turnovers just about any time that they need them, but then they can have drives where they keep the opposing offense on the field with stupid penalties and blown coverages. Yes, Asante Samuel has missed the last three games, but it's not all on him. It can't just be that. This defense was giving up big plays with Samuel in there. They still had stupid penalties called, and they still gave up a ton of points down in the red zone. Against Dallas, the Eagles allowed two touchdowns inside the 20 yard line, and one from 22 yards away. That can't happen against the better teams in the NFC. Teams like the Bears, Saints, Falcons and yes, the Giants, will kill the Eagles if they can't buckle down in the red zone.
Luckily for the Eagles, they still have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. This past Sunday against Dallas was no exception, as Michael Vick helped move the offense down the field with quick scoring drives that always seemed to come just as the Cowboys were about to take full control of the game. It wasn't exactly how you want a game to be run, with the offense only on the field for three to five minute drives, but as long as they result in points, then there's no problem with it. Dallas had an answer for every receiver that the Eagles had, save for DeSean Jackson. Though he only caught four passes, he averaged 52.5 yards per catch. That's some kind of video game number right there. His 91 yard touchdown catch on what was a quick slant pattern turned the game back around in favor of the Eagles and once again silenced a Dallas crowd that was just about to get back into the game. That's what this offense can do to any team. They can look dead for stretches, but all it takes is one big play, one mistake by the opposing defense, and the game is blown wide open again.
It doesn't even have to be DeSean Jackson that does it. The Eagles also have Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Brent Celek and even Riley Cooper that can make big plays in the passing game. Then, there's LeSean McCoy, who had the biggest game out of everyone on offense this week. McCoy didn't find the end zone, and only had four yards receiving, but it was his ground work at the end of the game that sealed things up for the Eagles. With the Cowboys having just scored with over four minutes to play, the Eagles had a three point lead. There wasn't an Eagles fan alive that wanted the Cowboys to get the ball back, and if you did, then you were insane. Dallas had just driven right downfield, and as tired as the Philadelphia defense looked, another score seemed almost like a formality if the Eagles had to punt again.
Then, McCoy got to work. The only pass play of the entire drive came on the first play, when Vick hit McCoy for a six yard gain. On the next play, McCoy picked up 12 yards for a first down, then got 19 more, moving the ball to midfield and forcing the Cowboys to start using their timeouts. A 13 yard run followed, and after a run for no gain by Jerome Harrison, Vick ran and stayed in bounds for a nine yard gain, setting up a third down and one with the game on the line. In just about every other situation under Andy Reid, the Eagles would have thrown the ball here. For some reason, Reid stuck with his running back, and McCoy picked up six yards and the game was over. I have no idea why the offense called the plays that they did on that drive, but I'm sure as hell glad that they did. That was a drive that didn't result in any points, but was just as satisfying as one that did. It was well run, took four and a half minutes off the clock, and finished off the Cowboys. I wouldn't have it any other way.
The game wasn't without its casualties, though. Stewart Bradley dislocated his elbow, knocking him out for at least a few weeks, if not until the playoffs start, while Brandon Graham tore his ACL, ending his rookie season just as he was getting into a nice groove. Considering the state of the Eagles on defense, these were two injuries that they could not afford to have. Bradley was finally showing the spark that he had two seasons ago before his ACL injury, and Graham was doing well on the defensive line with Trent Cole and Juqua Parker. Parker will have to step in for Graham, while seventh round pick Jamar Chaney will start in place of Bradley. Chaney looked good while playing against Dallas, and now he's had a full week to get ready, but you know that the Giants are going to take shots at him early and often.
This week is the biggest game of the season as the Eagles travel up to East Rutherford to take on the Giants. The winner gets control of the NFC East with just two games to play, and with the NFC playoff picture still looking cloudy, you want to have control of your division. This is the last road game of the year for the Eagles, so hopefully they can continue their run over the Giants and get one step closer to another division crown.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Cliff Lee is back
One year ago today, the Phillies made possibly the biggest trade in team history, sending Cliff Lee to Seattle as part of a deal that landed them Roy Halladay. Throughout the season, and even after trading for Roy Oswalt, fans still were talking about how they could have kept Cliff Lee around and paired him with Halladay and Cole Hamels to make one of the best rotations in baseball.
Well, those fans now have their wish. As of midnight today, Cliff Lee is once again a Phillie, having agreed to a five year, $120 million deal with an option for a sixth year that seems to have come in at the 11th hour. Now, not only do the Phillies have Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, but Cliff Lee as well. That's one scary rotation right there.
The best part about this deal might be the way that it got taken care of. For weeks, all people heard about were the Yankees and Rangers going after Lee, with no mention of any other team. Then, rumors of a third mystery team started to surface yesterday, and before people were going to bed out on the west coast, the Phillies had signed the biggest free agent pitcher on the market from under the noses of the Yankees and Rangers. While it's fun to really be able to stick it to New York this time, nothing has been decided yet for the 2011 baseball season. In fact, the year still has to be played.
For the moment, this is the biggest free agent signing in Phillies history. The Phillies now have the best rotation in major league baseball, with two Cy Young winners in Halladay and Lee, as well as Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. All four pitchers have playoff experience, and all four could be the ace for almost any other team in baseball. This isn't any other team any more, though. The Phillies have shown over the past three seasons that they want to be one of the big teams in baseball. They've gotten there now. Very few, if any, teams have actually beaten out the Yankees for a player that they had their sights on for months, but the Phillies did it. Cliff Lee chose a chance to pitch in the best staff in baseball in a city that he loved over an extra $30 million, and if there was any other way for him to be loved more by the fans in Philadelphia, that was it.
The Phillies aren't done making moves yet, either. While this signing certainly cements the rotation in place, there are still several questions that are lingering around. Ruben Amaro is likely looking at trading away Joe Blanton, Raul Ibanez or both of them to pay for Lee's new contract, and the Phillies still have some questions in the bullpen and a lack of a power right handed bat in their lineup. This team isn't perfect, but they're on their way. There's still plenty of time left in the offseason for more moves to be made, and after the Phillies just pulled off this stunner, I'm sure that they have something else up their sleeves.
There is a bit of a dark cloud to all of this, though. The Phillies have now officially joined the Yankees and the Red Sox on the "dark side" of the baseball fence. With their payroll now, fans in Philadelphia can't complain about the Yankees trying to buy a championship, or the Red Sox plundering from smaller market teams, because the Phillies are right there now, too. The funny thing is...I kind of like this feeling. It's a far cry from where the Phillies were just ten years ago, and if you had told me at the end of the 1999 season that the Phillies would have won four straight National League East pennants, gone to back to back World Series and won the 2008 World Series, I would have laughed at you. Now, the Phillies have truly become one of the elite teams in baseball. It certainly hasn't all been through homegrown talent, but that's how good teams stay at the top.
Welcome back to Philadelphia, Cliff. The city sure did miss you. Yes folks, it's only gonna get funner.
CSNPhilly.com: Cliff Lee is a Phillie again
Well, those fans now have their wish. As of midnight today, Cliff Lee is once again a Phillie, having agreed to a five year, $120 million deal with an option for a sixth year that seems to have come in at the 11th hour. Now, not only do the Phillies have Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, but Cliff Lee as well. That's one scary rotation right there.
The best part about this deal might be the way that it got taken care of. For weeks, all people heard about were the Yankees and Rangers going after Lee, with no mention of any other team. Then, rumors of a third mystery team started to surface yesterday, and before people were going to bed out on the west coast, the Phillies had signed the biggest free agent pitcher on the market from under the noses of the Yankees and Rangers. While it's fun to really be able to stick it to New York this time, nothing has been decided yet for the 2011 baseball season. In fact, the year still has to be played.
For the moment, this is the biggest free agent signing in Phillies history. The Phillies now have the best rotation in major league baseball, with two Cy Young winners in Halladay and Lee, as well as Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. All four pitchers have playoff experience, and all four could be the ace for almost any other team in baseball. This isn't any other team any more, though. The Phillies have shown over the past three seasons that they want to be one of the big teams in baseball. They've gotten there now. Very few, if any, teams have actually beaten out the Yankees for a player that they had their sights on for months, but the Phillies did it. Cliff Lee chose a chance to pitch in the best staff in baseball in a city that he loved over an extra $30 million, and if there was any other way for him to be loved more by the fans in Philadelphia, that was it.
The Phillies aren't done making moves yet, either. While this signing certainly cements the rotation in place, there are still several questions that are lingering around. Ruben Amaro is likely looking at trading away Joe Blanton, Raul Ibanez or both of them to pay for Lee's new contract, and the Phillies still have some questions in the bullpen and a lack of a power right handed bat in their lineup. This team isn't perfect, but they're on their way. There's still plenty of time left in the offseason for more moves to be made, and after the Phillies just pulled off this stunner, I'm sure that they have something else up their sleeves.
There is a bit of a dark cloud to all of this, though. The Phillies have now officially joined the Yankees and the Red Sox on the "dark side" of the baseball fence. With their payroll now, fans in Philadelphia can't complain about the Yankees trying to buy a championship, or the Red Sox plundering from smaller market teams, because the Phillies are right there now, too. The funny thing is...I kind of like this feeling. It's a far cry from where the Phillies were just ten years ago, and if you had told me at the end of the 1999 season that the Phillies would have won four straight National League East pennants, gone to back to back World Series and won the 2008 World Series, I would have laughed at you. Now, the Phillies have truly become one of the elite teams in baseball. It certainly hasn't all been through homegrown talent, but that's how good teams stay at the top.
Welcome back to Philadelphia, Cliff. The city sure did miss you. Yes folks, it's only gonna get funner.
CSNPhilly.com: Cliff Lee is a Phillie again
Monday, December 6, 2010
Jayson Werth and Donovan McNabb have something in common.
Most Phillies fans knew that it was coming, but it's still never good to see it when it does. As per Todd Zolecki, Jayson Werth has left the Phillies for the Washington Nationals.
The team may seem like a surprise to some, but the deal is a bigger shock. Werth signed a seven year, $126 million deal, putting him in the nation's capital until he's 38, and at an average of $18 million per season at that. The Nationals have picked up a good right fielder, while the Phillies now have a hole in right.
When you look at the pure numbers of this deal, there was just no way that the Phillies were going to match it. The Nationals offered Werth seven years, and from what everyone had been hearing, there's just no way that the Phillies were going to offer more than five. The Nationals also have made Werth one of the highest paid outfielders in the game, and while Washington missed out on key free agents in Mark Teixeira and C.C. Sabathia, they weren't going to miss out on Werth. The Nationals came on hard and fast, and to be honest with you, the Phillies didn't stand a chance. Not with what the Nationals were throwing out there. Not with seven years and $18 million per season.
It was almost certain that the Phillies were going to lose Werth during this offseason, but there was still hope that he would come back. After all, the Phillies were the only team to pick him up off the scrap heap back in 2007 and then they gave him a chance in 2008 after Geoff Jenkins didn't work out. Over the last two and a half years, Werth has been one of the keys to the middle of the Philadelphia lineup, and while part of that has to be due to having Chase Utley and Ryan Howard bat in front of him, some of it also has to do with Werth's natural talent. There's no doubt about it, Werth is a good right fielder, with a cannon for an arm and power to match, but when he's in a lineup with Ryan Zimmerman and himself, how much protection is he going to get? Plus, Nationals Park isn't nearly as forgiving as Citizens Bank Park, so his numbers might go down next year.
People have seen these deals for outfielders almost every year. They can work, but they don't always. Look back at Jason Bay last year, Carlos Lee a few years back and Vernon Wells in Toronto. Outfielders can have a few big seasons, sign big contracts and then become problems for the team that signed them. I'm not saying that's what going to happen to Werth, not at all. In fact, I hope Werth kills everyone but the Phillies in his time in Washington. What I am saying is that the contract that Werth signed makes him a problem for the Nationals if they ever have to get rid of him. Werth turns 32 next May, which is close to the end of the prime years for most baseball players. Say Werth's numbers start going downhill after two years. No one is going to want to trade for a 34 or 35 year old right fielder who is getting paid $18 million a season. That's why the Phillies wouldn't go further than four years with Werth, and that's the biggest problem that the Nationals are going to have.
For the Phillies, the biggest question now is how will they fill the hole left by Werth. Ben Francisco or Domonic Brown seem like the most likely options, but Francisco has never started full time in Philadelphia, and Brown struggled during the season with the Phillies, and then came home after a poor winter league in the Dominican. Apparently, the Phillies are looking at other options, such as Matt Diaz or Jeff Francoeur, but those can't possibly be long term ideas. The Phillies need another right handed bat in their lineup, and if they put Brown in there, it's just going to be another left hander in the mix of things. It's not going to work for an everyday solution. The Phillies need that right handed bat, and ideas aren't exactly flying in.
Jayson Werth was a good player for the Phillies. He was a key part of the team over the last two years, but to be honest with everyone, he was too old to sign to such a long term deal. The Nationals have more money to make a move like this, so it makes more sense. That doesn't mean that it's a good deal, though.
So long, Werth. It was fun while it lasted.
The Zo Zone: Werth signs with Nationals
The team may seem like a surprise to some, but the deal is a bigger shock. Werth signed a seven year, $126 million deal, putting him in the nation's capital until he's 38, and at an average of $18 million per season at that. The Nationals have picked up a good right fielder, while the Phillies now have a hole in right.
When you look at the pure numbers of this deal, there was just no way that the Phillies were going to match it. The Nationals offered Werth seven years, and from what everyone had been hearing, there's just no way that the Phillies were going to offer more than five. The Nationals also have made Werth one of the highest paid outfielders in the game, and while Washington missed out on key free agents in Mark Teixeira and C.C. Sabathia, they weren't going to miss out on Werth. The Nationals came on hard and fast, and to be honest with you, the Phillies didn't stand a chance. Not with what the Nationals were throwing out there. Not with seven years and $18 million per season.
It was almost certain that the Phillies were going to lose Werth during this offseason, but there was still hope that he would come back. After all, the Phillies were the only team to pick him up off the scrap heap back in 2007 and then they gave him a chance in 2008 after Geoff Jenkins didn't work out. Over the last two and a half years, Werth has been one of the keys to the middle of the Philadelphia lineup, and while part of that has to be due to having Chase Utley and Ryan Howard bat in front of him, some of it also has to do with Werth's natural talent. There's no doubt about it, Werth is a good right fielder, with a cannon for an arm and power to match, but when he's in a lineup with Ryan Zimmerman and himself, how much protection is he going to get? Plus, Nationals Park isn't nearly as forgiving as Citizens Bank Park, so his numbers might go down next year.
People have seen these deals for outfielders almost every year. They can work, but they don't always. Look back at Jason Bay last year, Carlos Lee a few years back and Vernon Wells in Toronto. Outfielders can have a few big seasons, sign big contracts and then become problems for the team that signed them. I'm not saying that's what going to happen to Werth, not at all. In fact, I hope Werth kills everyone but the Phillies in his time in Washington. What I am saying is that the contract that Werth signed makes him a problem for the Nationals if they ever have to get rid of him. Werth turns 32 next May, which is close to the end of the prime years for most baseball players. Say Werth's numbers start going downhill after two years. No one is going to want to trade for a 34 or 35 year old right fielder who is getting paid $18 million a season. That's why the Phillies wouldn't go further than four years with Werth, and that's the biggest problem that the Nationals are going to have.
For the Phillies, the biggest question now is how will they fill the hole left by Werth. Ben Francisco or Domonic Brown seem like the most likely options, but Francisco has never started full time in Philadelphia, and Brown struggled during the season with the Phillies, and then came home after a poor winter league in the Dominican. Apparently, the Phillies are looking at other options, such as Matt Diaz or Jeff Francoeur, but those can't possibly be long term ideas. The Phillies need another right handed bat in their lineup, and if they put Brown in there, it's just going to be another left hander in the mix of things. It's not going to work for an everyday solution. The Phillies need that right handed bat, and ideas aren't exactly flying in.
Jayson Werth was a good player for the Phillies. He was a key part of the team over the last two years, but to be honest with everyone, he was too old to sign to such a long term deal. The Nationals have more money to make a move like this, so it makes more sense. That doesn't mean that it's a good deal, though.
So long, Werth. It was fun while it lasted.
The Zo Zone: Werth signs with Nationals
Eagles Aftermath: Eagles-34, Texans-24
What happened?
Down 24-20 in the fourth quarter, Michael Vick guided the Eagles to two scoring drives, putting the Eagles at 8-4 and keeping them in first place in t he NFC East.
The Good:
Michael Vick had another solid game, going 22 of 33 for 302 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also ran the ball 10 times for 48 yards and a touchdown.
LeSean McCoy couldn't do much on the ground, but he was great catching the ball. McCoy ran the ball 12 times for 44 yards and a touchdown while catching eight passes for 86 yards and another touchdown.
DeSean Jackson only had three catches, but they went for 84 yards.
Brent Celek caught four passes for 55 yards and had a huge play on third down and 19 that allowed the Eagles to score a touchdown and put the game away in the fourth quarter.
Trevor Laws had his first career interception late in the second quarter, picking off Matt Schaub on a screen pass to set up a field goal.
David Akers kicked two field goals and four extra points.
The Bad:
Sav Rocca had three punts in the game, and averaged just 35.7 yards on them.
Andre Johnson had 149 yards receiving.
Adrian Foster didn't get to 100 yards on the ground, but he got close. He also scored twice, including a catch where he ran over Nate Allen at the three yard line.
Jason Avant had just one catch for four yards.
The Ugly:
The Eagles had 11 penalties called against them for 85 yards.
Houston made it inside the red zone three times, and scored all three times.
After taking over 12 minutes off the clock in the first and the start of the second quarter, the Eagles only had the ball for another 19 minutes.
The Breakdown:
This was a game that both teams needed to win, and while the Eagles almost let things slip away from them, in the end, they managed their fourth win since the bye and kept their first place lead in the NFC East over the New York Giants.
It wasn't as easy as a lot of people thought it was going to be, though. On their first two drives, the Eagles cut through the Houston defense, with Michael Vick once again doing most of the damage. His first pass of the game was a 30 completion to DeSean Jackson, and LeSean McCoy scored on each of the first two drives. After that, the first half once again boiled down to a few simple facts, though. The Eagles can't stop teams in the red zone, and there are times when this team just can not score when they get inside the 20 yard line. The three times that the Texans had the ball in the red zone, they found the end zone, including twice in the third quarter to put Houston on top for the first time. Meanwhile, the Eagles, who had gone 2-10 in their last two games inside the 20, scored on their first two drives in the red zone, but then had the same issues that they had faced against the Bears and Giants. While those two teams are solid on defense, Houston is anything but.
The biggest issue on Thursday night were the two dropped passes inside the red zone. Both Jason Avant and Brent Celek dropped what should have been touchdown passes from Michael Vick, and the two drives ended with field goals instead of touchdowns. Even though the Eagles won on Thursday, that can be a big deal, especially against a team with a better defense. Against the Bears, the Eagles had their chances, but couldn't get the job done. The same could be said against the Giants, despite Philadelphia winning that game. The Eagles got lucky against Houston, in that the Texans ended up not being able to stop the Eagles in the fourth quarter. Michael Vick did what he had to do, and the Eagles came away with a win. That doesn't mean that it was as good as it could have been, though.
Michael Vick took a lot of hits against the Texans, and was slow in getting up on a few of them as well. Vick took a nasty shot in the second quarter and didn't run as well after that. The biggest issue is the offensive line for this team. If they can't keep Vick from getting hit, he's going to get hurt. To make matters even worse, Winston Justice left the game with an apparent knee injury. King Dunlap is ok, but he's still King Dunlap. Winston Justice at least has started and knows the system better than Dunlap does. Considering Vick has been sacked eight times in the last three games, and he's one of the most elusive quarterbacks in the NFL, that doesn't bode well for this offensive line. Vick has to stay healthy to lead the offense, and all it's going to take is one good hit for him to be knocked out for the year.
Then, there's the defense. The Eagles held the Texans to just 10 points in the first half, but in the third quarter, they gave way to Adrian Foster and Andre Johnson. The two headed attack for the Texans recorded two touchdowns in the quarter, and Foster made Nate Allen look like a rookie when he ran him over on a touchdown run. The Achilles heel for the Eagles this year has been their defense in the red zone, and Thursday was no exception. All three times that Houston got the ball inside the 20, they scored a touchdown. It's not because the Eagles aren't talented on defense, or that Asante Samuel is out. There is something missing from this team that keeps them from having a killer instinct when the opponent gets close to the end zone. It's not good, no matter what it is.
Regardless of how the first three quarters went, the Eagles pulled out a comeback win in the last 15 minutes. Michael Vick ran for a touchdown to give the Eagles the lead, then found Owen Schmitt on the same play that LeSean McCoy scored on in the first quarter to finish things off. McCoy had another solid receiving day, even if the Eagles still refuse to give him the ball on the ground, while Brent Celek had the play of the game on a third and 19. While he was being tackled, Celek rolled over on the defensive player and stretched the football out. The ball just broke the plane, and the Eagles recorded a first down. Later on the drive, the Eagles scored, and that was all she wrote for the game. Without Celek making the same type of play he's made throughout his career, who knows how this game ends?
With four games left, the Eagles are sitting at 8-4, but these last four games are going to be tough. The Eagles play Dallas twice, the Giants in New Jersey and the Vikings in what could be Brett Favre's 300th straight start. The Cowboys and Vikings are playing spoiler, and the Giants are playing for the division. The Eagles need to take at least three out of these four games to ensure a playoff spot. Sweeping them and finishing 12-4 would be even better. Next up is the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Let's see what the Eagles can do once again in prime time.
Down 24-20 in the fourth quarter, Michael Vick guided the Eagles to two scoring drives, putting the Eagles at 8-4 and keeping them in first place in t he NFC East.
The Good:
Michael Vick had another solid game, going 22 of 33 for 302 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also ran the ball 10 times for 48 yards and a touchdown.
LeSean McCoy couldn't do much on the ground, but he was great catching the ball. McCoy ran the ball 12 times for 44 yards and a touchdown while catching eight passes for 86 yards and another touchdown.
DeSean Jackson only had three catches, but they went for 84 yards.
Brent Celek caught four passes for 55 yards and had a huge play on third down and 19 that allowed the Eagles to score a touchdown and put the game away in the fourth quarter.
Trevor Laws had his first career interception late in the second quarter, picking off Matt Schaub on a screen pass to set up a field goal.
David Akers kicked two field goals and four extra points.
The Bad:
Sav Rocca had three punts in the game, and averaged just 35.7 yards on them.
Andre Johnson had 149 yards receiving.
Adrian Foster didn't get to 100 yards on the ground, but he got close. He also scored twice, including a catch where he ran over Nate Allen at the three yard line.
Jason Avant had just one catch for four yards.
The Ugly:
The Eagles had 11 penalties called against them for 85 yards.
Houston made it inside the red zone three times, and scored all three times.
After taking over 12 minutes off the clock in the first and the start of the second quarter, the Eagles only had the ball for another 19 minutes.
The Breakdown:
This was a game that both teams needed to win, and while the Eagles almost let things slip away from them, in the end, they managed their fourth win since the bye and kept their first place lead in the NFC East over the New York Giants.
It wasn't as easy as a lot of people thought it was going to be, though. On their first two drives, the Eagles cut through the Houston defense, with Michael Vick once again doing most of the damage. His first pass of the game was a 30 completion to DeSean Jackson, and LeSean McCoy scored on each of the first two drives. After that, the first half once again boiled down to a few simple facts, though. The Eagles can't stop teams in the red zone, and there are times when this team just can not score when they get inside the 20 yard line. The three times that the Texans had the ball in the red zone, they found the end zone, including twice in the third quarter to put Houston on top for the first time. Meanwhile, the Eagles, who had gone 2-10 in their last two games inside the 20, scored on their first two drives in the red zone, but then had the same issues that they had faced against the Bears and Giants. While those two teams are solid on defense, Houston is anything but.
The biggest issue on Thursday night were the two dropped passes inside the red zone. Both Jason Avant and Brent Celek dropped what should have been touchdown passes from Michael Vick, and the two drives ended with field goals instead of touchdowns. Even though the Eagles won on Thursday, that can be a big deal, especially against a team with a better defense. Against the Bears, the Eagles had their chances, but couldn't get the job done. The same could be said against the Giants, despite Philadelphia winning that game. The Eagles got lucky against Houston, in that the Texans ended up not being able to stop the Eagles in the fourth quarter. Michael Vick did what he had to do, and the Eagles came away with a win. That doesn't mean that it was as good as it could have been, though.
Michael Vick took a lot of hits against the Texans, and was slow in getting up on a few of them as well. Vick took a nasty shot in the second quarter and didn't run as well after that. The biggest issue is the offensive line for this team. If they can't keep Vick from getting hit, he's going to get hurt. To make matters even worse, Winston Justice left the game with an apparent knee injury. King Dunlap is ok, but he's still King Dunlap. Winston Justice at least has started and knows the system better than Dunlap does. Considering Vick has been sacked eight times in the last three games, and he's one of the most elusive quarterbacks in the NFL, that doesn't bode well for this offensive line. Vick has to stay healthy to lead the offense, and all it's going to take is one good hit for him to be knocked out for the year.
Then, there's the defense. The Eagles held the Texans to just 10 points in the first half, but in the third quarter, they gave way to Adrian Foster and Andre Johnson. The two headed attack for the Texans recorded two touchdowns in the quarter, and Foster made Nate Allen look like a rookie when he ran him over on a touchdown run. The Achilles heel for the Eagles this year has been their defense in the red zone, and Thursday was no exception. All three times that Houston got the ball inside the 20, they scored a touchdown. It's not because the Eagles aren't talented on defense, or that Asante Samuel is out. There is something missing from this team that keeps them from having a killer instinct when the opponent gets close to the end zone. It's not good, no matter what it is.
Regardless of how the first three quarters went, the Eagles pulled out a comeback win in the last 15 minutes. Michael Vick ran for a touchdown to give the Eagles the lead, then found Owen Schmitt on the same play that LeSean McCoy scored on in the first quarter to finish things off. McCoy had another solid receiving day, even if the Eagles still refuse to give him the ball on the ground, while Brent Celek had the play of the game on a third and 19. While he was being tackled, Celek rolled over on the defensive player and stretched the football out. The ball just broke the plane, and the Eagles recorded a first down. Later on the drive, the Eagles scored, and that was all she wrote for the game. Without Celek making the same type of play he's made throughout his career, who knows how this game ends?
With four games left, the Eagles are sitting at 8-4, but these last four games are going to be tough. The Eagles play Dallas twice, the Giants in New Jersey and the Vikings in what could be Brett Favre's 300th straight start. The Cowboys and Vikings are playing spoiler, and the Giants are playing for the division. The Eagles need to take at least three out of these four games to ensure a playoff spot. Sweeping them and finishing 12-4 would be even better. Next up is the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Let's see what the Eagles can do once again in prime time.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Eagles Aftermath: Bears-31, Eagles-26
What happened?
The Chicago Bears dealt Michael Vick his first loss as a starter for the Eagles, ending Philadelphia's three game winning streak and putting them back in a first place tie with the New York Giants.
The Good:
Jason Avant had eight catches for 83 yards.
Brent Celek actually caught a touchdown pass, and had three catches for 50 yards.
Trent Cole sacked Jay Cutler twice.
Brandon Graham had pressure on Cutler several times, and sacked him once.
The Eagles only had three penalties for 19 yards.
The Bad:
Michael Vick passed for 333 yards and two touchdowns, but never looked comfortable against the Chicago defense. He also threw his first interception of the year in the red zone and was sacked four times.
LeSean McCoy only carried the ball ten times for 53 yards. I don't care about yards per carry or how many catches he had, that's not enough runs for him.
DeSean Jackson had just two catches for 26 yards. Yep, I'm calling him out, too.
The Eagles allowed Matt Forte to be the first running back to gain 100 yards off of them this season. Forte picked up 117 yards on just 14 carries, including a big 61 yard run in the first quarter.
The Ugly:
The Eagles had 22 more pass attempts than rush attempts. That's not a balanced attack.
In five trips to the red zone, the Eagles scored a single touchdown.
Jay Cutler went 14 of 21 with four touchdown passes. When Jay Cutler almost has a perfect quarterback rating, you've messed up.
The Eagles were horrible on kick coverage, allowing an average of 27.7 yards per return.
The Breakdown:
There's really not that much that can be said about this game. Sure, the Eagles only lost by five points, but it felt like a lot more than that. The Chicago Bears took the Eagles behind Soldier Field and gave them an old fashioned ass whooping. That's what last Sunday's game was.
The stats don't matter in a game like this. Michael Vick may have thrown for 333 yards, but he was running for his life most of the time, and the Bears had a perfect gameplan to shut the Eagles down. All Chicago had to do was get pressure and leave their safeties back, looking for the deep pass to DeSean Jackson or Jeremy Maclin. Just like against the Giants, Vick couldn't adjust when he needed to, and several of those over 300 passing yards came when the game was out of reach. In fact, the biggest moment of the game came when Vick threw his first interception of the year. The Eagles looked like they were going to take a 20-14 lead into the half when Vick led them into the red zone late in the first half, but Brian Urlacher tipped Vick's pass in the end zone, and Chris Harris intercepted it. With 38 seconds left in the half, Jay Cutler found Earl Bennett for a touchdown, and instead of the Eagles being up at the half, Chicago took a 21-13 lead that they would never give up.
For the second game in a row, the Eagles had missed chance after missed chance in the red zone. In their last two games, the Eagles have two touchdowns in ten red zone chances, and that's not good enough for a team that thinks they have a chance to win the NFC. Right now, this team might not even be good enough to make the playoffs, so they need to get their act together, and fast. Seriously, two touchdowns in their last ten chances? I know that they've played the Giants and Bears, and those are two good defenses, but still, that's nowhere close to good enough. There were more missed chances on Sunday, with Vick overthrowing receivers, or having to throw passes away because of the rush. It wasn't all on Vick against Chicago. The offensive line had a role to play as well, and they didn't do it that well. Vick was running for his life for most of the game, and rarely had a chance to get comfortable in the pocket. Yes, Michael Vick is a running quarterback, but he's been more and more of a pocket quarterback this season, and he needs time to find open receivers. If the offensive line can't give him time, he's done. The Giants showed that two weeks ago, and the Bears made it work even better last week.
The defense also had issues against the Bears. You can blame it all you want on the turf situation in Chicago, but the fact of the matter is good teams don't have issues with turf. They can play well on any surface. Matt Forte became the first running back this year to pick up 100 yards on the ground against the Eagles, and the defense just looked slow in general. Stewart Bradley was horrible, and the pass defense made Jay Cutler actually look like a first round pick. There's no way that missing Asante Samuel counted that much during this game. It's just not possible. Dimitri Patterson had been solid before last week, and Joselio Hanson is usually a good option, but neither one looked good at all. They gave up big play after big play, and that was how the Bears managed to get into scoring position so many times. Chicago used the big play very well last Sunday, and they did it early and often.
To be honest with you, having the Eagles go 3-1 through a stretch against the Colts, Donovan McNabb and the Redskins, the Giants and the Bears is pretty damn good, all things considered. However, they still needed to win this game against Chicago. This was a prove it game for this team, which had all but been anointed as the best in the NFC. While that still might happen, the Bears took the blueprint that the Giants made for stopping this offense, and they worked it to perfection. If the defense can't get caught up, then things are going to get very interesting down the stretch. Tomorrow night, the Eagles play the Houston Texans, who have one of the better offenses in the league, but boast one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. This game could be very, very fun, but it's a must win for both teams.
It's just a matter of who wants it more. I bet the Eagles do.
The Chicago Bears dealt Michael Vick his first loss as a starter for the Eagles, ending Philadelphia's three game winning streak and putting them back in a first place tie with the New York Giants.
The Good:
Jason Avant had eight catches for 83 yards.
Brent Celek actually caught a touchdown pass, and had three catches for 50 yards.
Trent Cole sacked Jay Cutler twice.
Brandon Graham had pressure on Cutler several times, and sacked him once.
The Eagles only had three penalties for 19 yards.
The Bad:
Michael Vick passed for 333 yards and two touchdowns, but never looked comfortable against the Chicago defense. He also threw his first interception of the year in the red zone and was sacked four times.
LeSean McCoy only carried the ball ten times for 53 yards. I don't care about yards per carry or how many catches he had, that's not enough runs for him.
DeSean Jackson had just two catches for 26 yards. Yep, I'm calling him out, too.
The Eagles allowed Matt Forte to be the first running back to gain 100 yards off of them this season. Forte picked up 117 yards on just 14 carries, including a big 61 yard run in the first quarter.
The Ugly:
The Eagles had 22 more pass attempts than rush attempts. That's not a balanced attack.
In five trips to the red zone, the Eagles scored a single touchdown.
Jay Cutler went 14 of 21 with four touchdown passes. When Jay Cutler almost has a perfect quarterback rating, you've messed up.
The Eagles were horrible on kick coverage, allowing an average of 27.7 yards per return.
The Breakdown:
There's really not that much that can be said about this game. Sure, the Eagles only lost by five points, but it felt like a lot more than that. The Chicago Bears took the Eagles behind Soldier Field and gave them an old fashioned ass whooping. That's what last Sunday's game was.
The stats don't matter in a game like this. Michael Vick may have thrown for 333 yards, but he was running for his life most of the time, and the Bears had a perfect gameplan to shut the Eagles down. All Chicago had to do was get pressure and leave their safeties back, looking for the deep pass to DeSean Jackson or Jeremy Maclin. Just like against the Giants, Vick couldn't adjust when he needed to, and several of those over 300 passing yards came when the game was out of reach. In fact, the biggest moment of the game came when Vick threw his first interception of the year. The Eagles looked like they were going to take a 20-14 lead into the half when Vick led them into the red zone late in the first half, but Brian Urlacher tipped Vick's pass in the end zone, and Chris Harris intercepted it. With 38 seconds left in the half, Jay Cutler found Earl Bennett for a touchdown, and instead of the Eagles being up at the half, Chicago took a 21-13 lead that they would never give up.
For the second game in a row, the Eagles had missed chance after missed chance in the red zone. In their last two games, the Eagles have two touchdowns in ten red zone chances, and that's not good enough for a team that thinks they have a chance to win the NFC. Right now, this team might not even be good enough to make the playoffs, so they need to get their act together, and fast. Seriously, two touchdowns in their last ten chances? I know that they've played the Giants and Bears, and those are two good defenses, but still, that's nowhere close to good enough. There were more missed chances on Sunday, with Vick overthrowing receivers, or having to throw passes away because of the rush. It wasn't all on Vick against Chicago. The offensive line had a role to play as well, and they didn't do it that well. Vick was running for his life for most of the game, and rarely had a chance to get comfortable in the pocket. Yes, Michael Vick is a running quarterback, but he's been more and more of a pocket quarterback this season, and he needs time to find open receivers. If the offensive line can't give him time, he's done. The Giants showed that two weeks ago, and the Bears made it work even better last week.
The defense also had issues against the Bears. You can blame it all you want on the turf situation in Chicago, but the fact of the matter is good teams don't have issues with turf. They can play well on any surface. Matt Forte became the first running back this year to pick up 100 yards on the ground against the Eagles, and the defense just looked slow in general. Stewart Bradley was horrible, and the pass defense made Jay Cutler actually look like a first round pick. There's no way that missing Asante Samuel counted that much during this game. It's just not possible. Dimitri Patterson had been solid before last week, and Joselio Hanson is usually a good option, but neither one looked good at all. They gave up big play after big play, and that was how the Bears managed to get into scoring position so many times. Chicago used the big play very well last Sunday, and they did it early and often.
To be honest with you, having the Eagles go 3-1 through a stretch against the Colts, Donovan McNabb and the Redskins, the Giants and the Bears is pretty damn good, all things considered. However, they still needed to win this game against Chicago. This was a prove it game for this team, which had all but been anointed as the best in the NFC. While that still might happen, the Bears took the blueprint that the Giants made for stopping this offense, and they worked it to perfection. If the defense can't get caught up, then things are going to get very interesting down the stretch. Tomorrow night, the Eagles play the Houston Texans, who have one of the better offenses in the league, but boast one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. This game could be very, very fun, but it's a must win for both teams.
It's just a matter of who wants it more. I bet the Eagles do.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Eagles Aftermath: Eagles-27, Giants-17
What happened?
LeSean McCoy's 50 yard touchdown run on a fourth and one gave the Eagles the lead late in the fourth quarter, and Eli Manning's fumble on a slide finished things off, as the Eagles improved to 7-3 on the season and took first place in the NFC East.
The Good:
LeSean McCoy saved the game on Sunday night, rushing for 111 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. He also caught five passes for 29 yards.
Michael Vick didn't have a great game, but he was solid, completing 24 of 38 passes for 258 yards while also rushing for 34 yards and a touchdown.
Jeremy Maclin caught nine passes for 120 yards.
The rushing defense was outstanding, holding the Giants to just 61 yards on 19 carries. Ahmad Bradshaw had just 29 yards on 12 carries and fumbled the ball once.
Eli Manning was unable to get anything going for most of the night. He threw two touchdowns, but also had three interceptions and fumbled once.
Asante Samuel had two of those three interceptions, giving him four this season against the Manning brothers.
Samuel and Dimitri Patterson did a good job at shutting down the New York passing game, holing Hakeem Nicks to just 65 yards, and Mario Manningham to three catches for 24 yards.
The offensive line did a good job keeping pressure off of Michael Vick when the Giants only brought a four man rush.
David Akers kicked four field goals, but had one blocked at the end of the first half. It's actually one of his better showings against the Giants.
The Bad:
Aside from the two game saving carries in the fourth quarter, LeSean McCoy had just nine carries for 21 yards.
Brent Celek went another game without a catch. Where has he been this season?
Michael Vick got hit way too many times, and needs to figure out how to get out of play without taking a hard shot.
Ellis Hobbs got knocked out to start the second half with a hard helmet to helmet hit on the opening kickoff.
The Ugly:
The offense made it inside the New York red zone five times...and came away with one touchdown. Both DeSean Jackson and Jason Avant dropped what would have been touchdowns.
The Eagles had ten penalties called against them, costing them 119 yards. Those penalties included four personal fouls.
Vick had no answer for the New York blitz, which looked like the same play over and over again. He has to get better at reading a blitz and finding his hot read, because if he doesn't, every team from here on out is going to do what the Giants did.
The Breakdown:
It wasn't nearly as pretty as the game on Monday night, but for the second time in a week, the Eagles managed to take down a divisional opponent, and this time, it gave them control of first place in the NFC East. With their 27-17 victory on Sunday night over the New York Giants, the Eagles are now in the driver's seat in a competitive NFC that has six teams sitting with 7-3 or better records.
There was no 88 yard touchdown to start the game against the Giants. Instead, this game played out more like a typical NFC East slugfest. Both teams came out and the defenses set the tone early. Eli Manning was never able to get comfortable, and while the Eagles never managed to sack the Giant quarterback, they had pressure on him throughout the game and forced three interceptions and a fumble that I'll talk about a little later on. New York's biggest strength coming into the game was their rushing attack, but, just like they have for most of the season, the Eagles shut down the lead rusher of their opponent. Ahmad Bradshaw carried the ball just 12 times for 29 yards. That's an average of 2.4 yards per carry, and 17 of those yards came on a single play. To beat the Giants, you have to make their offense one dimensional, and that's what the Eagles did. They put all the pressure on Eli Manning and used their pass rush to force him into quick throws that weren't always the best option. New York ended up with just 208 total yards of offense, which is a far cry from the over 400 they averaged coming into the game.
Of course, the Eagles didn't have the best showing on offense either, despite picking up almost 400 yards on the game. Michael Vick had a good game, passing for 258 yards, but he struggled whenever the Giants brought pressure from the left side. Vick is a left handed quarterback, and when he scrambles to the left, it opens up the entire playbook. He can run or pass, and it keeps defenders guessing. What the Giants did was force Vick to the right, eliminating the threat of the pass and holding him to short three or four yard runs that they could hit him on. I lost track of how many times Vick was hit hard in this game, and there were a couple of times where he got up a little bit slowly. Vick already got hurt once this season, and if he keeps taking hits like that, he's going to get hurt again. He has to get the ball out quicker on blitz attempts, because when an opposing defense blitzes, there should always be single coverage or at least one man open. Vick just has to read where the weak spot is and exploit it. However, it's not that easy.
The blitz of the Giants was one of the reasons why the Eagles only found the end zone once in the first half. The other reason was sloppy play by the Eagles on offense. Two times, Vick had receivers in the end zone and hit them in the hands with the football. Both times, the receivers dropped the ball, and in the case of Jason Avant, there wasn't a single New York player within five yards of him. He was literally wide open and couldn't catch the ball. You can't beat good teams with field goals, and it almost came back to bite the Eagles in the fourth quarter. The Giants forced Vick to fumble, his first turnover of the year, and scored a five yard touchdown to give them a one point lead at 17-16. Just like two weeks ago against the Colts, the failure of the offense in red zone situations was coming back to bite them.
In a game without many big plays, the biggest one that the Eagles had may have been the one that defines this season. On third and six at midfield, Vick hard counted, forcing rookie Jason Pierre-Paul offsides. Of course, the Eagles came out in the shotgun on third and one, and the play failed, leaving the Eagles with a fourth down and one to go with just four and a half minutes left in the game. The Giants had crowded the middle of the line, anticipating a sneak from Vick, but the Eagles, who had a similar situation against the Colts, had other plans. Vick bobbled the snap, and just managed to pitch it to LeSean McCoy before Osi Umenyiora knocked the ball away. McCoy ran untouched for a 50 yard touchdown, the Eagles converted the two point conversion, and that was all that was needed. The Giants had one more chance after Asante Samuel fumbled his second interception of the game back to New York, but Eli Manning slid head first on a fourth down scramble and fumbled the ball before he was touched. McCoy broke off a 40 yard run that set up a David Akers field goal for the final nail in the coffin.
As I said before, it wasn't a pretty game by any means, but a win is still a win. The defense looked great out there against one of the better offenses in the NFL, and while many people said that the Eagles couldn't have long, sustained drives, two of their scoring drives lasted for 13 plays or more, and took over 15 combined minutes off the clock. That's an entire quarter of football, for those of you keeping track at home. Sure, the Eagles are a big play offense, but their biggest plays on Sunday were the two runs in the fourth quarter by McCoy. This wasn't a typical game for the Eagles this year, but they still found a way to win. That's what good teams do, and believe it or not, the Eagles are a very, very good team right now. The Giants came into Philadelphia with a solid game plan and worked it very well, but the Eagles still had too much on offense, and with the defense creating a short field on two scoring drives, New York had their work cut out for them.
There are still some concerns, though. Vick can't be taking the hits he took against the Giants every single week, or he's going to miss some key time down the stretch. He has to get out of bounds or slide on runs, and when he facing a blitz, he needs to find the hot read to get the ball out of his hands quickly. The Giants ran the same blitz probably ten or so times during the game, as they brought Antrel Rolle from the left side, and the Eagles didn't have an answer for it. If they, and Vick, can't figure out how to stop a simple safety blitz, then expect to see that coming more and more often during the rest of the season. The run game needs to be more than just two big plays at the end of the game, but I'll take what happened against the Giants any time. That's the value that McCoy brings to the Eagles. He can be stopped for an entire game, then change everything with two carries that push the momentum right back to the Philadelphia side of the ball. Was this game as fun to watch as the one against the Redskins? Not exactly, but the Eagles have themselves in a great position now. They control their own fate in the NFC East, with three divisional games still to come. The toughest part of their schedule is almost over, with just Chicago remaining in this rough four game patch. It's 3-0 for the Eagles since the bye week, which is normally when things get turned around for this team.
With a couple more wins, things could be looking very good for the Eagles. There's still a lot of season left, and Chicago is a very good team that's had extra time to prepare for Michael Vick, so we'll see what happens this Sunday.
LeSean McCoy's 50 yard touchdown run on a fourth and one gave the Eagles the lead late in the fourth quarter, and Eli Manning's fumble on a slide finished things off, as the Eagles improved to 7-3 on the season and took first place in the NFC East.
The Good:
LeSean McCoy saved the game on Sunday night, rushing for 111 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown. He also caught five passes for 29 yards.
Michael Vick didn't have a great game, but he was solid, completing 24 of 38 passes for 258 yards while also rushing for 34 yards and a touchdown.
Jeremy Maclin caught nine passes for 120 yards.
The rushing defense was outstanding, holding the Giants to just 61 yards on 19 carries. Ahmad Bradshaw had just 29 yards on 12 carries and fumbled the ball once.
Eli Manning was unable to get anything going for most of the night. He threw two touchdowns, but also had three interceptions and fumbled once.
Asante Samuel had two of those three interceptions, giving him four this season against the Manning brothers.
Samuel and Dimitri Patterson did a good job at shutting down the New York passing game, holing Hakeem Nicks to just 65 yards, and Mario Manningham to three catches for 24 yards.
The offensive line did a good job keeping pressure off of Michael Vick when the Giants only brought a four man rush.
David Akers kicked four field goals, but had one blocked at the end of the first half. It's actually one of his better showings against the Giants.
The Bad:
Aside from the two game saving carries in the fourth quarter, LeSean McCoy had just nine carries for 21 yards.
Brent Celek went another game without a catch. Where has he been this season?
Michael Vick got hit way too many times, and needs to figure out how to get out of play without taking a hard shot.
Ellis Hobbs got knocked out to start the second half with a hard helmet to helmet hit on the opening kickoff.
The Ugly:
The offense made it inside the New York red zone five times...and came away with one touchdown. Both DeSean Jackson and Jason Avant dropped what would have been touchdowns.
The Eagles had ten penalties called against them, costing them 119 yards. Those penalties included four personal fouls.
Vick had no answer for the New York blitz, which looked like the same play over and over again. He has to get better at reading a blitz and finding his hot read, because if he doesn't, every team from here on out is going to do what the Giants did.
The Breakdown:
It wasn't nearly as pretty as the game on Monday night, but for the second time in a week, the Eagles managed to take down a divisional opponent, and this time, it gave them control of first place in the NFC East. With their 27-17 victory on Sunday night over the New York Giants, the Eagles are now in the driver's seat in a competitive NFC that has six teams sitting with 7-3 or better records.
There was no 88 yard touchdown to start the game against the Giants. Instead, this game played out more like a typical NFC East slugfest. Both teams came out and the defenses set the tone early. Eli Manning was never able to get comfortable, and while the Eagles never managed to sack the Giant quarterback, they had pressure on him throughout the game and forced three interceptions and a fumble that I'll talk about a little later on. New York's biggest strength coming into the game was their rushing attack, but, just like they have for most of the season, the Eagles shut down the lead rusher of their opponent. Ahmad Bradshaw carried the ball just 12 times for 29 yards. That's an average of 2.4 yards per carry, and 17 of those yards came on a single play. To beat the Giants, you have to make their offense one dimensional, and that's what the Eagles did. They put all the pressure on Eli Manning and used their pass rush to force him into quick throws that weren't always the best option. New York ended up with just 208 total yards of offense, which is a far cry from the over 400 they averaged coming into the game.
Of course, the Eagles didn't have the best showing on offense either, despite picking up almost 400 yards on the game. Michael Vick had a good game, passing for 258 yards, but he struggled whenever the Giants brought pressure from the left side. Vick is a left handed quarterback, and when he scrambles to the left, it opens up the entire playbook. He can run or pass, and it keeps defenders guessing. What the Giants did was force Vick to the right, eliminating the threat of the pass and holding him to short three or four yard runs that they could hit him on. I lost track of how many times Vick was hit hard in this game, and there were a couple of times where he got up a little bit slowly. Vick already got hurt once this season, and if he keeps taking hits like that, he's going to get hurt again. He has to get the ball out quicker on blitz attempts, because when an opposing defense blitzes, there should always be single coverage or at least one man open. Vick just has to read where the weak spot is and exploit it. However, it's not that easy.
The blitz of the Giants was one of the reasons why the Eagles only found the end zone once in the first half. The other reason was sloppy play by the Eagles on offense. Two times, Vick had receivers in the end zone and hit them in the hands with the football. Both times, the receivers dropped the ball, and in the case of Jason Avant, there wasn't a single New York player within five yards of him. He was literally wide open and couldn't catch the ball. You can't beat good teams with field goals, and it almost came back to bite the Eagles in the fourth quarter. The Giants forced Vick to fumble, his first turnover of the year, and scored a five yard touchdown to give them a one point lead at 17-16. Just like two weeks ago against the Colts, the failure of the offense in red zone situations was coming back to bite them.
In a game without many big plays, the biggest one that the Eagles had may have been the one that defines this season. On third and six at midfield, Vick hard counted, forcing rookie Jason Pierre-Paul offsides. Of course, the Eagles came out in the shotgun on third and one, and the play failed, leaving the Eagles with a fourth down and one to go with just four and a half minutes left in the game. The Giants had crowded the middle of the line, anticipating a sneak from Vick, but the Eagles, who had a similar situation against the Colts, had other plans. Vick bobbled the snap, and just managed to pitch it to LeSean McCoy before Osi Umenyiora knocked the ball away. McCoy ran untouched for a 50 yard touchdown, the Eagles converted the two point conversion, and that was all that was needed. The Giants had one more chance after Asante Samuel fumbled his second interception of the game back to New York, but Eli Manning slid head first on a fourth down scramble and fumbled the ball before he was touched. McCoy broke off a 40 yard run that set up a David Akers field goal for the final nail in the coffin.
As I said before, it wasn't a pretty game by any means, but a win is still a win. The defense looked great out there against one of the better offenses in the NFL, and while many people said that the Eagles couldn't have long, sustained drives, two of their scoring drives lasted for 13 plays or more, and took over 15 combined minutes off the clock. That's an entire quarter of football, for those of you keeping track at home. Sure, the Eagles are a big play offense, but their biggest plays on Sunday were the two runs in the fourth quarter by McCoy. This wasn't a typical game for the Eagles this year, but they still found a way to win. That's what good teams do, and believe it or not, the Eagles are a very, very good team right now. The Giants came into Philadelphia with a solid game plan and worked it very well, but the Eagles still had too much on offense, and with the defense creating a short field on two scoring drives, New York had their work cut out for them.
There are still some concerns, though. Vick can't be taking the hits he took against the Giants every single week, or he's going to miss some key time down the stretch. He has to get out of bounds or slide on runs, and when he facing a blitz, he needs to find the hot read to get the ball out of his hands quickly. The Giants ran the same blitz probably ten or so times during the game, as they brought Antrel Rolle from the left side, and the Eagles didn't have an answer for it. If they, and Vick, can't figure out how to stop a simple safety blitz, then expect to see that coming more and more often during the rest of the season. The run game needs to be more than just two big plays at the end of the game, but I'll take what happened against the Giants any time. That's the value that McCoy brings to the Eagles. He can be stopped for an entire game, then change everything with two carries that push the momentum right back to the Philadelphia side of the ball. Was this game as fun to watch as the one against the Redskins? Not exactly, but the Eagles have themselves in a great position now. They control their own fate in the NFC East, with three divisional games still to come. The toughest part of their schedule is almost over, with just Chicago remaining in this rough four game patch. It's 3-0 for the Eagles since the bye week, which is normally when things get turned around for this team.
With a couple more wins, things could be looking very good for the Eagles. There's still a lot of season left, and Chicago is a very good team that's had extra time to prepare for Michael Vick, so we'll see what happens this Sunday.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Roy Halladay is your Cy Young winner
Eleven months ago to the day, the Phillies completed their trade for Roy Halladay. While it cost them Cliff Lee and Kyle Drabek, the mood around Philadelphia was that Halladay would get the Phillies back to the World Series and coast to the Cy Young Award in his first year in the National League. While the first prediction unfortunately didn't come to pass, the second one did. Today, Halladay was named the winner of the National League Cy Young Award, and he was named so in a unanimous vote, making him the first pitcher since 2007 to win the award with such an honor.
While Halladay started the season 10-7, after the All Star break, he took off, going 11-3 the rest of the way. Roy ended up leading the National League in wins, innings pitched and complete games, and he finished in the top three in the league in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP and winning percentage. He also pitched a pefect game against the Marlins back in May, and his first ever playoff start against the Cincinnati Reds turned out to be just the second no-hitter in playoff history. Sure, the votes for the Cy Young Award are recorded before the playoffs start, but I had to throw that in there.
Roy Halladay was the best pitcher in the National League this year, and now it's official. Yes, Adam Wainright, Ubaldo Jimenez, Jason Johnson and Tim Hudson had great seasons, but no one had the season that Halladay did. Halladay pitched a perfect game, suffered through the offensive drought that the Phillies had during the regular season, then kicked it into overdrive when most pitchers are thinking about golf. Despite the Phillies not making it back to the World Series for the third straight year, Halladay showed more heart than any pitcher that I've ever seen when he beat the Giants on a pulled groin in his last start of the year. Even if the votes were taken before the playoffs, that would have given him the Cy Young in my opinion.
This was the best pitching performance by a Phillies pitcher in years, and it was justly awarded as such. Halladay became the fifth pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in two different leagues, and was the first Phillie to win the award since 1987, when Steve Bedrosian won it as a relief pitcher. The only thing that bothers me about the voting is that Cole Hamels didn't finish in the top 12 of the votes, while Brett Myers and Bronson Arroyo did. Hamels had a better season than either of those two, and would have been in the top ten easily if it hadn't been for the lack of run production. Oh, and Roy Oswalt, the third pitcher in the Phillies' rotation? Yeah, he ended up finishing sixth in the voting. That's after a 6-12 start with the Astros. I think the Phillies are in good shape for next season on the mound.
Congrats to Roy Halladay. You deserved this more than anything else. The only thing that's missing now is a ring and another parade, but that can wait until next season. Besides, it wasn't your fault anyway. It took you just one season to become one of the most beloved Phillies of the last 20 years.
While Halladay started the season 10-7, after the All Star break, he took off, going 11-3 the rest of the way. Roy ended up leading the National League in wins, innings pitched and complete games, and he finished in the top three in the league in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP and winning percentage. He also pitched a pefect game against the Marlins back in May, and his first ever playoff start against the Cincinnati Reds turned out to be just the second no-hitter in playoff history. Sure, the votes for the Cy Young Award are recorded before the playoffs start, but I had to throw that in there.
Roy Halladay was the best pitcher in the National League this year, and now it's official. Yes, Adam Wainright, Ubaldo Jimenez, Jason Johnson and Tim Hudson had great seasons, but no one had the season that Halladay did. Halladay pitched a perfect game, suffered through the offensive drought that the Phillies had during the regular season, then kicked it into overdrive when most pitchers are thinking about golf. Despite the Phillies not making it back to the World Series for the third straight year, Halladay showed more heart than any pitcher that I've ever seen when he beat the Giants on a pulled groin in his last start of the year. Even if the votes were taken before the playoffs, that would have given him the Cy Young in my opinion.
This was the best pitching performance by a Phillies pitcher in years, and it was justly awarded as such. Halladay became the fifth pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in two different leagues, and was the first Phillie to win the award since 1987, when Steve Bedrosian won it as a relief pitcher. The only thing that bothers me about the voting is that Cole Hamels didn't finish in the top 12 of the votes, while Brett Myers and Bronson Arroyo did. Hamels had a better season than either of those two, and would have been in the top ten easily if it hadn't been for the lack of run production. Oh, and Roy Oswalt, the third pitcher in the Phillies' rotation? Yeah, he ended up finishing sixth in the voting. That's after a 6-12 start with the Astros. I think the Phillies are in good shape for next season on the mound.
Congrats to Roy Halladay. You deserved this more than anything else. The only thing that's missing now is a ring and another parade, but that can wait until next season. Besides, it wasn't your fault anyway. It took you just one season to become one of the most beloved Phillies of the last 20 years.
Eagles Aftermath: Eagles-59, Redskins-28
What Happened?
The Eagles scored 28 points in the first quarter of last night's game and never looked back, setting a team record for yardage and scoring their most points in a single game since 1934. Michael Vick passed for over 300 yards, threw four touchdowns and rushed for two more.
The Good:
Michael Vick looked like he was playing a video game. He completed 20 of 28 passes for 333 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for 80 yards and two more touchdowns, making him the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for over 300 yards, rush for over 50 yards, throw four touchdowns and rush for two more in a single game.
Jerome Harrison carried the ball 11 times for 109 yards and his first touchdown as an Eagle on a 50 yard run in the first quarter.
LeSean McCoy only carried the ball 11 times for 43 yards, but he also caught five passes for 51 yards and a touchdown.
DeSean Jackson started the game off with an 88 yard touchdown catch, and while he only had one other catch for ten yards, that was all that was needed.
Jeremy Maclin caught four passes for 79 yards and had a 48 yard touchdown catch that started the second quarter. It was his seventh touchdown of the year.
Jason Avant had five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown.
The Eagles only managed to sack Donovan McNabb twice, but had him under pressure almost the entire game, and forced three interceptions.
Dimitri Patterson intercepted two of McNabb's passes, running one back for a 40 yard touchdown that capped the scoring.
The Eagles forced the Redskins to go 0-10 on third downs, and held the ball for almost 40 minutes.
The Eagles only had six penalties called against them for just 35 yards.
The Bad:
Brent Celek only caught two passes for eight yards. He's been a nonfactor this entire season.
The defense did look a little soft at times, allowing 28 points on some deep throws by McNabb. Plus, some guy named Keiland Williams scored three touchdowns.
The Eagles didn't score 60 points. I wanted to see that.
The Ugly:
Nothing to see here. The Eagles just blew out a division opponent and can control first place with a win on Sunday.
The Breakdown:
All you needed to know about last night's game came on the first play. Backed up at their own 12 yard line, the Philadelphia Eagles came out and ran a play action fake to LeSean McCoy. Michael Vick had protection and ran out to the left, then launched a pass to DeSean Jackson that Jackson caught in stride at the Washington 35 yard line. LaRon Landry fell down attempting a tackle, and Jackson walked backwards into the end zone from ten yards out. Eighteen seconds into the game, the Eagles had a 7-0 lead, and it was all downhill from there for the Redskins, while the Eagles were just starting a historic night.
The first five times that the Eagles had the ball on offense, they found the end zone, and each one of the scores came either from the arm or the leg of Michael Vick. There is literally nothing else that can be said about this man right now. If you're an Eagles fan, you may hate what he did in the past, you may never like him as a person, but you have to admit that he is one hell of a football player. Last night may have been Vick's best showing ever as a professional player, and that's including his time down in Atlanta. Throughout this season, we've been able to see Vick evolve as a quarterback, and last night may have been the culmination of that evolution.
As a member of the Falcons, Vick's progression in the pocket was pretty much for him to look at his primary receiver, then Alge Crumpler, then run if both of them were covered. Last night, you could see Vick actually looking for each receiver on a play before he thought about running the football. Even when he did scramble in the pocket, he was still looking downfield, trying to find a receiver to pass to. When there wasn't anyone open, Vick tucked it and ran, which he did to the tune of 80 yards and two touchdowns. So far this season, Vick has 11 passing touchdowns, four rushing touchdowns, has completed 62.7% of his passes and hasn't thrown an interception. Those numbers are in just five and a half games. Could you imagine what they might be at had Vick played a full game against the Redskins in the first game, and not had to miss the games against the Falcons, Titans and 49ers? He might not just be in the talk for MVP this season, he could be leading it.
Of course, Vick is just one player on the offense, and despite his amazing night, it was a total team effort against the Washington defense. Four different players caught touchdown passes, and Jerome Harrison showed why he might be the best number two running back in the NFC with his first 100 yard game as an Eagle. LeSean McCoy had some issues running the ball, but had over 50 yards receiving and caught a touchdown on a shovel pass in that first quarter. DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant all had over 70 receiving yards and a touchdown, and the Eagles controlled the ball for almost 40 minutes on offense, setting a franchise record for yards, and most of them came before the fourth quarter.
On the other side of the ball, the defense has to get some credit for allowing the offense to get out to that big lead. The Redskins went three and out on their opening drive, which led to the second touchdown of the game. On the next Washington drive, Donovan McNabb was intercepted by rookie Kurt Coleman, who started in place of the injured Nate Allen. The Eagles scored again to put themselves up 21-0. The next two Washington drives also ended in three and outs, and the Eagles turned them both into touchdowns. Before the Redskins got a single first down, the Eagles had scored 35 points. That's how a defense can make an impact without getting many turnovers. McNabb was under pressure for most of the night, and while the Eagles only managed two sacks against him, he still looked like the same McNabb in pressure, as passes were flying over the heads of receivers or skidding at their feet. I'm not going to talk about the extension that McNabb just signed, but if that was his response to it, the Redskins might want to get their money back quickly.
Now, the defense wasn't perfect all night long. After the Eagles went up 35-0, they allowed back to back scoring drives thanks to long passes from McNabb to Fred Davis and Anthony Armstrong. It turned out to not be an area of concern, but the Eagles did show a little bit of weakness there. At the time of the pass to Davis, there were still almost three quarters of football left to be played. The Eagles had already scored four touchdowns in a quarter, so why couldn't the Redskins? That killer instinct wasn't there at times, and while the margin of victory makes it seem like it didn't matter, against a team with a better defense, it will. The run defense was solid again, but the secondary still needs to step it up more. Dimitri Patterson had a good game with two interceptions, but he also got burned on a couple of passes as well. Patterson is better than Ellis Hobbs, but the Eagles are going to have to address the cornerback situation in the offseason. Opposing teams can pick on the corner opposite Asante Samuel all day long.
Honestly, this was one of the better games that I have ever gotten to watch as an Eagles fan during the regular season. With everything that went into the first Redskins/Eagles matchup, and the result that came out of it, I was just hoping that the Eagles would be able to split the season series with the Redskins. What happened instead was something out of a video game. I mean that literally, I have played games of Madden that looked like that game last night. Michael Vick is on another planet right now, and needs to be resigned as quickly as possible. Imagine saying that at this point last year. The offense may be the fastest in the NFL, and the defense just needs to do enough to let the offense score points.
If you look at the schedule for the Eagles, these past two games and the next two upcoming games might be the toughest stretch for the team this season. They had to play the Colts, go to Washington for a rematch with the Redskins, then take on the Giants and Bears, two first place teams. Well, so far the Eagles are 2-0 on that stretch and are looking more and more like one of the better teams in the NFC. When you couple that with the fact that they beat the Falcons with Kevin Kolb at quarterback and DeSean Jackson missing most of the game, this team could be a big factor going into the last half of the season. I'm not saying anything else yet, because this coming game against the Giants will be the measuring stick for the rest of the year. New York got embarrassed at home against the Cowboys last week, possibly because they were looking ahead to this game with the Eagles, and now the game is for first place in the NFC East with just six games to play following the game. It's as much of a must win for both teams as it can possibly be.
Now, if the Eagles can put forth even 75% of what they showed on Monday Night, they'll be in business. This season could turn out to be something else, but it's not there yet. There are still steps to be taken. Remember, last night was just one game. Sure, the Eagles scored the most points that they'd scored since 1934, but that's not going to get them to the playoffs. Winning the rest of their games is going to do that. It's one game at a time from here on out.
The Eagles scored 28 points in the first quarter of last night's game and never looked back, setting a team record for yardage and scoring their most points in a single game since 1934. Michael Vick passed for over 300 yards, threw four touchdowns and rushed for two more.
The Good:
Michael Vick looked like he was playing a video game. He completed 20 of 28 passes for 333 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for 80 yards and two more touchdowns, making him the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for over 300 yards, rush for over 50 yards, throw four touchdowns and rush for two more in a single game.
Jerome Harrison carried the ball 11 times for 109 yards and his first touchdown as an Eagle on a 50 yard run in the first quarter.
LeSean McCoy only carried the ball 11 times for 43 yards, but he also caught five passes for 51 yards and a touchdown.
DeSean Jackson started the game off with an 88 yard touchdown catch, and while he only had one other catch for ten yards, that was all that was needed.
Jeremy Maclin caught four passes for 79 yards and had a 48 yard touchdown catch that started the second quarter. It was his seventh touchdown of the year.
Jason Avant had five catches for 76 yards and a touchdown.
The Eagles only managed to sack Donovan McNabb twice, but had him under pressure almost the entire game, and forced three interceptions.
Dimitri Patterson intercepted two of McNabb's passes, running one back for a 40 yard touchdown that capped the scoring.
The Eagles forced the Redskins to go 0-10 on third downs, and held the ball for almost 40 minutes.
The Eagles only had six penalties called against them for just 35 yards.
The Bad:
Brent Celek only caught two passes for eight yards. He's been a nonfactor this entire season.
The defense did look a little soft at times, allowing 28 points on some deep throws by McNabb. Plus, some guy named Keiland Williams scored three touchdowns.
The Eagles didn't score 60 points. I wanted to see that.
The Ugly:
Nothing to see here. The Eagles just blew out a division opponent and can control first place with a win on Sunday.
The Breakdown:
All you needed to know about last night's game came on the first play. Backed up at their own 12 yard line, the Philadelphia Eagles came out and ran a play action fake to LeSean McCoy. Michael Vick had protection and ran out to the left, then launched a pass to DeSean Jackson that Jackson caught in stride at the Washington 35 yard line. LaRon Landry fell down attempting a tackle, and Jackson walked backwards into the end zone from ten yards out. Eighteen seconds into the game, the Eagles had a 7-0 lead, and it was all downhill from there for the Redskins, while the Eagles were just starting a historic night.
The first five times that the Eagles had the ball on offense, they found the end zone, and each one of the scores came either from the arm or the leg of Michael Vick. There is literally nothing else that can be said about this man right now. If you're an Eagles fan, you may hate what he did in the past, you may never like him as a person, but you have to admit that he is one hell of a football player. Last night may have been Vick's best showing ever as a professional player, and that's including his time down in Atlanta. Throughout this season, we've been able to see Vick evolve as a quarterback, and last night may have been the culmination of that evolution.
As a member of the Falcons, Vick's progression in the pocket was pretty much for him to look at his primary receiver, then Alge Crumpler, then run if both of them were covered. Last night, you could see Vick actually looking for each receiver on a play before he thought about running the football. Even when he did scramble in the pocket, he was still looking downfield, trying to find a receiver to pass to. When there wasn't anyone open, Vick tucked it and ran, which he did to the tune of 80 yards and two touchdowns. So far this season, Vick has 11 passing touchdowns, four rushing touchdowns, has completed 62.7% of his passes and hasn't thrown an interception. Those numbers are in just five and a half games. Could you imagine what they might be at had Vick played a full game against the Redskins in the first game, and not had to miss the games against the Falcons, Titans and 49ers? He might not just be in the talk for MVP this season, he could be leading it.
Of course, Vick is just one player on the offense, and despite his amazing night, it was a total team effort against the Washington defense. Four different players caught touchdown passes, and Jerome Harrison showed why he might be the best number two running back in the NFC with his first 100 yard game as an Eagle. LeSean McCoy had some issues running the ball, but had over 50 yards receiving and caught a touchdown on a shovel pass in that first quarter. DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Jason Avant all had over 70 receiving yards and a touchdown, and the Eagles controlled the ball for almost 40 minutes on offense, setting a franchise record for yards, and most of them came before the fourth quarter.
On the other side of the ball, the defense has to get some credit for allowing the offense to get out to that big lead. The Redskins went three and out on their opening drive, which led to the second touchdown of the game. On the next Washington drive, Donovan McNabb was intercepted by rookie Kurt Coleman, who started in place of the injured Nate Allen. The Eagles scored again to put themselves up 21-0. The next two Washington drives also ended in three and outs, and the Eagles turned them both into touchdowns. Before the Redskins got a single first down, the Eagles had scored 35 points. That's how a defense can make an impact without getting many turnovers. McNabb was under pressure for most of the night, and while the Eagles only managed two sacks against him, he still looked like the same McNabb in pressure, as passes were flying over the heads of receivers or skidding at their feet. I'm not going to talk about the extension that McNabb just signed, but if that was his response to it, the Redskins might want to get their money back quickly.
Now, the defense wasn't perfect all night long. After the Eagles went up 35-0, they allowed back to back scoring drives thanks to long passes from McNabb to Fred Davis and Anthony Armstrong. It turned out to not be an area of concern, but the Eagles did show a little bit of weakness there. At the time of the pass to Davis, there were still almost three quarters of football left to be played. The Eagles had already scored four touchdowns in a quarter, so why couldn't the Redskins? That killer instinct wasn't there at times, and while the margin of victory makes it seem like it didn't matter, against a team with a better defense, it will. The run defense was solid again, but the secondary still needs to step it up more. Dimitri Patterson had a good game with two interceptions, but he also got burned on a couple of passes as well. Patterson is better than Ellis Hobbs, but the Eagles are going to have to address the cornerback situation in the offseason. Opposing teams can pick on the corner opposite Asante Samuel all day long.
Honestly, this was one of the better games that I have ever gotten to watch as an Eagles fan during the regular season. With everything that went into the first Redskins/Eagles matchup, and the result that came out of it, I was just hoping that the Eagles would be able to split the season series with the Redskins. What happened instead was something out of a video game. I mean that literally, I have played games of Madden that looked like that game last night. Michael Vick is on another planet right now, and needs to be resigned as quickly as possible. Imagine saying that at this point last year. The offense may be the fastest in the NFL, and the defense just needs to do enough to let the offense score points.
If you look at the schedule for the Eagles, these past two games and the next two upcoming games might be the toughest stretch for the team this season. They had to play the Colts, go to Washington for a rematch with the Redskins, then take on the Giants and Bears, two first place teams. Well, so far the Eagles are 2-0 on that stretch and are looking more and more like one of the better teams in the NFC. When you couple that with the fact that they beat the Falcons with Kevin Kolb at quarterback and DeSean Jackson missing most of the game, this team could be a big factor going into the last half of the season. I'm not saying anything else yet, because this coming game against the Giants will be the measuring stick for the rest of the year. New York got embarrassed at home against the Cowboys last week, possibly because they were looking ahead to this game with the Eagles, and now the game is for first place in the NFC East with just six games to play following the game. It's as much of a must win for both teams as it can possibly be.
Now, if the Eagles can put forth even 75% of what they showed on Monday Night, they'll be in business. This season could turn out to be something else, but it's not there yet. There are still steps to be taken. Remember, last night was just one game. Sure, the Eagles scored the most points that they'd scored since 1934, but that's not going to get them to the playoffs. Winning the rest of their games is going to do that. It's one game at a time from here on out.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Even more Phillies news
Yep, the news just keeps coming for the Phillies, who made two moves today to help ensure that the bullpen for next year is in decent shape, and to possibly find their successor to Charlie Manuel.
After a solid season last year, many people were hopeful that Jose Contreras would be brought back for at least next season. Even at age 39 (or so), Contreras was one of the best relief pitchers for the Phillies last season, going 6-4 with a 3.34 ERA. Well, today, the Phillies rewarded Contreras with a two year, $5.5 million contract, giving him two more years in the red and white pinstripes.
This is a good move for the Phillies, who are going to need to keep some of their better bullpen options for next year. Contreras was pretty much the most consistent relief pitcher that the Phillies had last season, and it's worth the money to bring him back. While deals for a hard throwing pitcher can come back to bite you, Contreras showed his worth with the Rockies back in 2009, and really earned his stripes with the Phils last year. He's worth the money, especially with the way he pitched last season. I was hopeful that the Phillies would bring him back, and they did. It may have been for a bit more money than people may have expected, but to get Contreras back for under $3 million per season? I'll take it.
With the other move today, the Phillies finally resolved 29 years of frustration. It took almost three decades, but Ryne Sandberg is back in the fold for the Phils. It's not as a player, of course but as the manager of the Triple A Leihigh Valley Iron Pigs. Sandberg left the Chicago Cubs when he wasn't chosen as the manager after Lou Piniella retired, but it's for the best that he's with the Phillies now. Sandberg has been very, very good as a minor league manager, and he was expected to take over in Chicago, but the Cubs decided to go in another direction. Now, the Phillies have him once again, and they might just have their successor to Charlie Manuel.
I'm not hoping that Charlie Manuel is going to leave any time soon, but now the Phillies have one of the best options in baseball sitting there, waiting for them to call him up. Sandberg should have been named manager of the Cubs this offseason, but he wasn't, and now the Phillies get to reap the benefits. Considering how well Chicago made out with Sandberg during his playing days, I'm ok with this. I mean, the Cubs got Larry Bowa and Sandberg for Ivan DeJesus, which was one of the worst trades in Phillies history. Now, the Phillies finally get Sandberg back, and it's about time. I don't expect Sandberg to manage the Phillies in the next few years, but he should be tabbed for the next manager job in Philadelphia. Nothing is set in stone yet, but things are in motion right now.
Honestly, Ryne Sandberg should be a manager in the major leagues right now, but the Chicago Cubs loss is the gain for the Phillies. He's going to be great managing down in Triple A, and when Manuel steps away, he'll be there waiting for his chance. This could be going any better for the Phils right now. It's been such a long time, but the Phillies may finally have Ryne Sandberg back. It's about time.
CSNPhilly.com: Phillies resign Contreras
CSNPhilly.com: Phillies tab Ryne Sandberg to coach AAA
After a solid season last year, many people were hopeful that Jose Contreras would be brought back for at least next season. Even at age 39 (or so), Contreras was one of the best relief pitchers for the Phillies last season, going 6-4 with a 3.34 ERA. Well, today, the Phillies rewarded Contreras with a two year, $5.5 million contract, giving him two more years in the red and white pinstripes.
This is a good move for the Phillies, who are going to need to keep some of their better bullpen options for next year. Contreras was pretty much the most consistent relief pitcher that the Phillies had last season, and it's worth the money to bring him back. While deals for a hard throwing pitcher can come back to bite you, Contreras showed his worth with the Rockies back in 2009, and really earned his stripes with the Phils last year. He's worth the money, especially with the way he pitched last season. I was hopeful that the Phillies would bring him back, and they did. It may have been for a bit more money than people may have expected, but to get Contreras back for under $3 million per season? I'll take it.
With the other move today, the Phillies finally resolved 29 years of frustration. It took almost three decades, but Ryne Sandberg is back in the fold for the Phils. It's not as a player, of course but as the manager of the Triple A Leihigh Valley Iron Pigs. Sandberg left the Chicago Cubs when he wasn't chosen as the manager after Lou Piniella retired, but it's for the best that he's with the Phillies now. Sandberg has been very, very good as a minor league manager, and he was expected to take over in Chicago, but the Cubs decided to go in another direction. Now, the Phillies have him once again, and they might just have their successor to Charlie Manuel.
I'm not hoping that Charlie Manuel is going to leave any time soon, but now the Phillies have one of the best options in baseball sitting there, waiting for them to call him up. Sandberg should have been named manager of the Cubs this offseason, but he wasn't, and now the Phillies get to reap the benefits. Considering how well Chicago made out with Sandberg during his playing days, I'm ok with this. I mean, the Cubs got Larry Bowa and Sandberg for Ivan DeJesus, which was one of the worst trades in Phillies history. Now, the Phillies finally get Sandberg back, and it's about time. I don't expect Sandberg to manage the Phillies in the next few years, but he should be tabbed for the next manager job in Philadelphia. Nothing is set in stone yet, but things are in motion right now.
Honestly, Ryne Sandberg should be a manager in the major leagues right now, but the Chicago Cubs loss is the gain for the Phillies. He's going to be great managing down in Triple A, and when Manuel steps away, he'll be there waiting for his chance. This could be going any better for the Phils right now. It's been such a long time, but the Phillies may finally have Ryne Sandberg back. It's about time.
CSNPhilly.com: Phillies resign Contreras
CSNPhilly.com: Phillies tab Ryne Sandberg to coach AAA
Phillies News Recap
Yeah, it's been almost a week since my last post. Sorry about that, haven't had as much computer access as I would have wanted. Either way, it may be the offseason for the Phillies, but they're still making news, even as they prepare to go for their fifth straight National League East pennant.
First and foremost, the National League Gold Gloves were announced last week, and Shane Victorino won his third straight award in centerfield. Victorino led all National League outfielders with 11 assists, and has been nothing but an asset for the Phils since he took over in center. Most people have lost track of the number of hits that Shane has turned into outs, and that's a good thing. He deserves the Gold Glove, and while Jimmy Rollins had his three season streak come to an end, the Phillies could have had both Chase Utley and Placido Polanco in consideration as well. Regardless, it's good to see Victorino getting some more recognition.
The other news that came out last week was the replacement for Davey Lopes as a first base coach. It turns out that the Phillies didn't have to look far, as they moved third base coach Sam Perlozzo across the diamond to first base, and filled his shoes with former Phillie Juan Samuel, who is going to take over as the third base coach. Personally, I would rather see Samuel, who had world class speed as a player, coaching at first base, but apparently, Perlozzo wanted to coach the base runners, and who am I to argue with Charlie Manuel at this point? Plus, Perlozzo is a very good third base coach, and while he's never been a first base coach, he should be able to pick things up very quickly. It's not going to be as fun without Lopes in the first base box, considering he turned the Phillies into one of the best base stealing teams in baseball, but the team is still the same, the only thing missing is Lopes. We won't be able to tell how much of a difference this makes until the season starts, but everything should be ok, at least on the basepaths.
Why can't next year be here already?
CSNPhilly.com: Victorino wins third Gold Glove
CSNPhilly.com: Perlozzo moves to first base with Samuel hiring
First and foremost, the National League Gold Gloves were announced last week, and Shane Victorino won his third straight award in centerfield. Victorino led all National League outfielders with 11 assists, and has been nothing but an asset for the Phils since he took over in center. Most people have lost track of the number of hits that Shane has turned into outs, and that's a good thing. He deserves the Gold Glove, and while Jimmy Rollins had his three season streak come to an end, the Phillies could have had both Chase Utley and Placido Polanco in consideration as well. Regardless, it's good to see Victorino getting some more recognition.
The other news that came out last week was the replacement for Davey Lopes as a first base coach. It turns out that the Phillies didn't have to look far, as they moved third base coach Sam Perlozzo across the diamond to first base, and filled his shoes with former Phillie Juan Samuel, who is going to take over as the third base coach. Personally, I would rather see Samuel, who had world class speed as a player, coaching at first base, but apparently, Perlozzo wanted to coach the base runners, and who am I to argue with Charlie Manuel at this point? Plus, Perlozzo is a very good third base coach, and while he's never been a first base coach, he should be able to pick things up very quickly. It's not going to be as fun without Lopes in the first base box, considering he turned the Phillies into one of the best base stealing teams in baseball, but the team is still the same, the only thing missing is Lopes. We won't be able to tell how much of a difference this makes until the season starts, but everything should be ok, at least on the basepaths.
Why can't next year be here already?
CSNPhilly.com: Victorino wins third Gold Glove
CSNPhilly.com: Perlozzo moves to first base with Samuel hiring
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Eagles Aftermath: Eagles-26, Colts-24
What Happened?
For the first time in his coaching career, Andy Reid beat the Indianapolis Colts behind a good showing from Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and some timely defense.
The Good:
Michael Vick actually outplayed Peyton Manning, completing 17 of 29 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown. He also ran the ball ten times for 74 yards and another touchdown.
DeSean Jackson played his first game since suffering a concussion and didn't look like he missed a step. He caught seven passes for 109 yards and a score, and he also ran three times for 20 yards.
LeSean McCoy started the game with a 62 yard run that led to a touchdown. He finished the day with 95 yards on 16 carries.
The defense as a unit was solid against the Colts. The Eagles sacked Peyton Manning three times and held Donald Brown and Javarris James to just 62 yards on the ground.
Asante Samuel intercepted Manning twice, including on the final offensive play for the Colts. He also held Pierre Garcon to just two catches for 15 yards.
In his first career start, Dimitri Patterson was matched up against Reggie Wayne for most of the day, and he played well. Wayne caught 11 passes, but only for 83 yards, and he didn't have a touchdown.
David Akers went 4/4 in field goal attempts.
The Bad:
The Eagles made it inside the Indianapolis 20 yard line five different times and only scored two touchdowns. They beat the Colts, but normally, teams can't beat Peyton Manning with field goals.
After that 62 yard run to start the game, LeSean McCoy only had 33 more yards on 15 carries.
Brent Celek didn't catch a single pass during the game, though he did have a touchdown catch called back because of a penalty.
The Ugly:
The Eagles were called for 14 penalties, costing them 125 yards. While most of them were legit calls, others weren't.
Really, that's about it.
The Breakdown:
Sure, some people were picking the Eagles to actually knock off the Colts before this game started, but do you really think anyone actually believed it? The Eagles did have some things going in their favor, mostly that Andy Reid has never lost a game after the bye week, and that Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson were both returning from injuries. However, the fact still remained: you do not bet against Peyton Manning. It just doesn't happen.
Well, this past Sunday, the Eagles came out and did something that they haven't done since the 1993 season: defeat the Indianapolis Colts. Andy Reid beat the Colts for the first time in his head coaching career, and more importantly, the Eagles moved to 5-3 on the season and actually look like one of the better teams in a very interesting NFC. Despite the close score at the end of the game, it wasn't that close, and should have been a blowout win for the Eagles. The only problem was that the offense couldn't do anything right once they got inside the 20 yard line.
The Eagles made it into the red zone five times during the course of the game, including on their first four offensive possessions. While the first drive ended with a touchdown, the next three weren't as successful, as David Akers had to come in a kick chip shot field goals. When you couple those four trips in with the one touchdown that the Colts scored in that same time frame, the Eagles could have been up 28-7 in the second quarter. Instead, thanks to missed chances, they only had a 16-7 lead, and Peyton Manning took that away with two scoring drives in the final two minutes of the half. Ten quick points by the Colts later, and Indianapolis had the lead at the half. Luckily, the Eagles came back to win the game, but it should have never come to that.
Is that nitpicking? Perhaps, but one of the biggest complaints about Kevin Kolb and hell, even Donovan McNabb was that they couldn't score touchdowns when they got into the red zone. Well, Michael Vick had five red zone trips, and only scored two touchdowns. It's not the quarterback that's necessarily the problem in this situation. It could be the play calling or the design of the offense, which falls back on Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg. They have to make sure that better calls get made once the offense gets down into the red zone. Most of the time, you can't beat Peyton Manning by kicking field goals. Had those two Indianapolis scoring drives come at the end of the fourth quarter, this would be a bigger issue this week, but it's not. It's still a problem that has been hurting the Eagles all season long, though. Something has to be done about it.
With that being said, the offense still had a good game on Sunday. LeSean McCoy started things off with a 62 yard run on the first play of the game that set the tone for the offense in the first half. McCoy only finished with 95 yards, but that run helped take the wind out of the Colts' sails early. Michael Vick returned from injury and looked no worse for wear. He did have a few throws that were almost intercepted, but close doesn't count in the NFL. Vick looked comfortable in the pocket, and when he had to run, he did. Several times in the second half, Vick turned what would have been a poor play into a good one using his legs, and it's thanks to him that the Eagles were able to kill about six and a half minutes off the clock in the fourth quarter with a nine point lead. There were times when it seemed like Vick was just toying with the Indianapolis defense, and it was fun to watch.
DeSean Jackson also made his return from a concussion and looked great, recording his third 100 yard receiving game of the season while catching Vick's touchdown pass in the first quarter. Jackson was also instrumental on the last drive for the Eagles, picking up a first down on a well timed reverse that took 40 seconds off the clock. It doesn't look like Jackson showed any ill effects from his concussion, and if he can keep playing like he did on Sunday, then the Eagles are going to have a good offense for the rest of the season.
Of course, someone had to stop Peyton Manning, and the defense was up to the task. Asante Samuel intercepted Manning twice, and the defensive line put a lot of pressure on Manning, sacking him three times and hurrying his throws throughout the game. During one stretch, Manning completed just three of 14 passes, showing how much of a difference the Philadelphia pass rush made. The Colts couldn't get anything going on the ground either, as Donald Brown managed just 50 yards on 12 carries, forcing the game onto Manning's shoulders. While that's something that Manning is used to, he couldn't finish things against the Eagles. He almost did, though, with some help from the officials.
I normally won't get into officiating, because I know how hard it can be to make a close call. The referees are out on the field, making snap judgments in the blink of an eye, without the benefit of replay most of the time. They can be wrong. The call on the play where Austin Collie got hurt was a bit weak, considering Collie was knocked into Kurt Coleman, who was trying to lead with his shoulder, but ended up hitting Collie helmet to helmet. Fortunately, the NFL didn't fine either Coleman or Quintin Mikell for the hits on Collie, who hopefully will be back on the field before too long. The kicker about that entire situation was that Coleman wouldn't have even been in the game had Nate Allen not gotten hurt earlier on. Allen is likely going to miss this upcoming game with a neck sprain. Allen has looked good so far this year, so I'm hoping this is only going to be a one week type injury.
The one call that I did have a problem with was the call late in the fourth quarter. With the Colts facing a fourth and 18, with the game essentially on the line, Trent Cole managed to strip Peyton Manning, and the Eagles recovered. The only problem was that, in reaching around Manning's body to knock the ball loose, Cole brushed his arm against Manning's helmet. Cole was called for a 15 yard personal foul for hitting the quarterback's helmet, and the drive continued. The Colts would score later on to make it a 26-24 game, but they wouldn't get another chance. Now, by the letter of the law, the penalty was correct. You can't hit a quarterback in the helmet. However, it was a weak call, considering that Cole was going for the ball, and wasn't even trying to hit Manning in the head. It's not like he launched himself at Manning, or hit him after the play. He brushed his arm against the back of his helmet while trying to knock the ball loose. I'm not sure how you can change that rule, but something should be done about it. The only problem is that I don't know if anything can be done. Quarterbacks do have to be protected, and if you take that rule away, they'll be getting knocked around a lot more. I'm just glad that the call didn't cost the Eagles the game.
I said during my midseason recap that a 4-3 record was where I saw the Eagles before the season started. Well, after Week 9, I had the Eagles at 4-4. I didn't think there was any way that the Eagles would beat the Colts, but they did it, and now they're sitting at 5-3, with just the Giants ahead of them in the NFC East. Things aren't going to get any easier for the Eagles the rest of the way, as five of their last eight games are against divisional opponents, and the other three are against the Bears, Texans and Vikings, three teams fighting for their seasons right now. Beating the Colts certainly gave this team more confidence, and they should continue to perform well as the season goes along. As long as they don't play down to the level of their opponents, the Eagles will be fine and might even make the playoffs. Next week, the Eagles are headed down to Washington to take on Donovan McNabb on Monday Night Football. McNabb got his in Philadelphia, and now, it's time for the Eagles to get a little payback.
For the first time in his coaching career, Andy Reid beat the Indianapolis Colts behind a good showing from Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson and some timely defense.
The Good:
Michael Vick actually outplayed Peyton Manning, completing 17 of 29 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown. He also ran the ball ten times for 74 yards and another touchdown.
DeSean Jackson played his first game since suffering a concussion and didn't look like he missed a step. He caught seven passes for 109 yards and a score, and he also ran three times for 20 yards.
LeSean McCoy started the game with a 62 yard run that led to a touchdown. He finished the day with 95 yards on 16 carries.
The defense as a unit was solid against the Colts. The Eagles sacked Peyton Manning three times and held Donald Brown and Javarris James to just 62 yards on the ground.
Asante Samuel intercepted Manning twice, including on the final offensive play for the Colts. He also held Pierre Garcon to just two catches for 15 yards.
In his first career start, Dimitri Patterson was matched up against Reggie Wayne for most of the day, and he played well. Wayne caught 11 passes, but only for 83 yards, and he didn't have a touchdown.
David Akers went 4/4 in field goal attempts.
The Bad:
The Eagles made it inside the Indianapolis 20 yard line five different times and only scored two touchdowns. They beat the Colts, but normally, teams can't beat Peyton Manning with field goals.
After that 62 yard run to start the game, LeSean McCoy only had 33 more yards on 15 carries.
Brent Celek didn't catch a single pass during the game, though he did have a touchdown catch called back because of a penalty.
The Ugly:
The Eagles were called for 14 penalties, costing them 125 yards. While most of them were legit calls, others weren't.
Really, that's about it.
The Breakdown:
Sure, some people were picking the Eagles to actually knock off the Colts before this game started, but do you really think anyone actually believed it? The Eagles did have some things going in their favor, mostly that Andy Reid has never lost a game after the bye week, and that Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson were both returning from injuries. However, the fact still remained: you do not bet against Peyton Manning. It just doesn't happen.
Well, this past Sunday, the Eagles came out and did something that they haven't done since the 1993 season: defeat the Indianapolis Colts. Andy Reid beat the Colts for the first time in his head coaching career, and more importantly, the Eagles moved to 5-3 on the season and actually look like one of the better teams in a very interesting NFC. Despite the close score at the end of the game, it wasn't that close, and should have been a blowout win for the Eagles. The only problem was that the offense couldn't do anything right once they got inside the 20 yard line.
The Eagles made it into the red zone five times during the course of the game, including on their first four offensive possessions. While the first drive ended with a touchdown, the next three weren't as successful, as David Akers had to come in a kick chip shot field goals. When you couple those four trips in with the one touchdown that the Colts scored in that same time frame, the Eagles could have been up 28-7 in the second quarter. Instead, thanks to missed chances, they only had a 16-7 lead, and Peyton Manning took that away with two scoring drives in the final two minutes of the half. Ten quick points by the Colts later, and Indianapolis had the lead at the half. Luckily, the Eagles came back to win the game, but it should have never come to that.
Is that nitpicking? Perhaps, but one of the biggest complaints about Kevin Kolb and hell, even Donovan McNabb was that they couldn't score touchdowns when they got into the red zone. Well, Michael Vick had five red zone trips, and only scored two touchdowns. It's not the quarterback that's necessarily the problem in this situation. It could be the play calling or the design of the offense, which falls back on Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg. They have to make sure that better calls get made once the offense gets down into the red zone. Most of the time, you can't beat Peyton Manning by kicking field goals. Had those two Indianapolis scoring drives come at the end of the fourth quarter, this would be a bigger issue this week, but it's not. It's still a problem that has been hurting the Eagles all season long, though. Something has to be done about it.
With that being said, the offense still had a good game on Sunday. LeSean McCoy started things off with a 62 yard run on the first play of the game that set the tone for the offense in the first half. McCoy only finished with 95 yards, but that run helped take the wind out of the Colts' sails early. Michael Vick returned from injury and looked no worse for wear. He did have a few throws that were almost intercepted, but close doesn't count in the NFL. Vick looked comfortable in the pocket, and when he had to run, he did. Several times in the second half, Vick turned what would have been a poor play into a good one using his legs, and it's thanks to him that the Eagles were able to kill about six and a half minutes off the clock in the fourth quarter with a nine point lead. There were times when it seemed like Vick was just toying with the Indianapolis defense, and it was fun to watch.
DeSean Jackson also made his return from a concussion and looked great, recording his third 100 yard receiving game of the season while catching Vick's touchdown pass in the first quarter. Jackson was also instrumental on the last drive for the Eagles, picking up a first down on a well timed reverse that took 40 seconds off the clock. It doesn't look like Jackson showed any ill effects from his concussion, and if he can keep playing like he did on Sunday, then the Eagles are going to have a good offense for the rest of the season.
Of course, someone had to stop Peyton Manning, and the defense was up to the task. Asante Samuel intercepted Manning twice, and the defensive line put a lot of pressure on Manning, sacking him three times and hurrying his throws throughout the game. During one stretch, Manning completed just three of 14 passes, showing how much of a difference the Philadelphia pass rush made. The Colts couldn't get anything going on the ground either, as Donald Brown managed just 50 yards on 12 carries, forcing the game onto Manning's shoulders. While that's something that Manning is used to, he couldn't finish things against the Eagles. He almost did, though, with some help from the officials.
I normally won't get into officiating, because I know how hard it can be to make a close call. The referees are out on the field, making snap judgments in the blink of an eye, without the benefit of replay most of the time. They can be wrong. The call on the play where Austin Collie got hurt was a bit weak, considering Collie was knocked into Kurt Coleman, who was trying to lead with his shoulder, but ended up hitting Collie helmet to helmet. Fortunately, the NFL didn't fine either Coleman or Quintin Mikell for the hits on Collie, who hopefully will be back on the field before too long. The kicker about that entire situation was that Coleman wouldn't have even been in the game had Nate Allen not gotten hurt earlier on. Allen is likely going to miss this upcoming game with a neck sprain. Allen has looked good so far this year, so I'm hoping this is only going to be a one week type injury.
The one call that I did have a problem with was the call late in the fourth quarter. With the Colts facing a fourth and 18, with the game essentially on the line, Trent Cole managed to strip Peyton Manning, and the Eagles recovered. The only problem was that, in reaching around Manning's body to knock the ball loose, Cole brushed his arm against Manning's helmet. Cole was called for a 15 yard personal foul for hitting the quarterback's helmet, and the drive continued. The Colts would score later on to make it a 26-24 game, but they wouldn't get another chance. Now, by the letter of the law, the penalty was correct. You can't hit a quarterback in the helmet. However, it was a weak call, considering that Cole was going for the ball, and wasn't even trying to hit Manning in the head. It's not like he launched himself at Manning, or hit him after the play. He brushed his arm against the back of his helmet while trying to knock the ball loose. I'm not sure how you can change that rule, but something should be done about it. The only problem is that I don't know if anything can be done. Quarterbacks do have to be protected, and if you take that rule away, they'll be getting knocked around a lot more. I'm just glad that the call didn't cost the Eagles the game.
I said during my midseason recap that a 4-3 record was where I saw the Eagles before the season started. Well, after Week 9, I had the Eagles at 4-4. I didn't think there was any way that the Eagles would beat the Colts, but they did it, and now they're sitting at 5-3, with just the Giants ahead of them in the NFC East. Things aren't going to get any easier for the Eagles the rest of the way, as five of their last eight games are against divisional opponents, and the other three are against the Bears, Texans and Vikings, three teams fighting for their seasons right now. Beating the Colts certainly gave this team more confidence, and they should continue to perform well as the season goes along. As long as they don't play down to the level of their opponents, the Eagles will be fine and might even make the playoffs. Next week, the Eagles are headed down to Washington to take on Donovan McNabb on Monday Night Football. McNabb got his in Philadelphia, and now, it's time for the Eagles to get a little payback.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Philadelphia Eagles at the halfway point: Looking for good news in a bad NFC
The first eight weeks of the NFL season are over, and now that the Eagles have had their bye week, it's time to look back and see exactly what's gone down so far. Honestly, halfway through the season, I had the Eagles with a 4-3 record, so they're exactly where I thought they would be so far this season. However, what I didn't expect was the NFC as a whole to be as mediocre as it has been so far. You have the Cowboys at 1-6, the NFC North being led by the injury laden Green Bay Packers at 5-3 and the Chicago Bears, who have no offensive line, the NFC South with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers having a 5-2 record, despite being outscored by almost 30 points on the season and the NFC West, where no team is any good. Right now, it is a picture of mediocrity, and if the Eagles can win a few close games, they'll be right in the thick of things over the next nine weeks.
This isn't about what's coming up, though. This is about what's already happened. So, let's look back on the first eight weeks of the season.
Quarterback:
Boy, things have changed since the season started, haven't they? Donovan McNabb got benched, and all kinds of things are being stirred up...no, that's in Washington. However, things haven't been that easy with the Eagles, where Kevin Kolb got knocked out of the first game of the season with a concussion, then lost his starting job to Michael Vick. Vick looked very good in wins against Detroit and Jacksonville, but then got hurt against the Redskins, giving the job back to Kolb once again. Kolb had two good games against San Francisco and Atlanta, but didn't look as good against the Titans. So far this year, Kolb has passed for over 1,000 yards in about five games, with six touchdowns and four interceptions. Meanwhile, Michael Vick, who is getting the starting job back this week against the Colts, has passed for 799 yards and six touchdowns, with no interceptions and has rushed for 187 yards on the ground. If you're going to make me pick a quarterback for the rest of the season, I would go with Vick, only because of the offensive line situation.
Kevin Kolb still looks like he can start in the NFL, but Michael Vick is the better man for the job at the moment. People might not agree with his past, but the fact is that the man had done a good job as quarterback of this team before he got hurt, and he should be good again. You can argue that he played against a Green Bay team that wasn't ready for him, and against Detroit and Jacksonville, two questionable teams at best this year, but Detroit beat the Redskins, while the Jaguars just took out the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas. Vick's performances are starting to look better as the season goes along. For now, I'm siding with Vick, but the grade at the quarterback position right now is yet to be seen.
Grade: Incomplete. Injuries to both quarterbacks have gotten us little time to see how each can perform over a full season. Taking three or four games is not a large enough sample size. If Vick can play well over the next few weeks, then this will start to look better.
Running Backs:
Believe it or not, but the Eagles have more rushes this year than passes. While some of those plays were quarterback scrambles, others have been to LeSean McCoy, who is starting to establish himself as a good running back in the NFL. McCoy doesn't always get a lot of carries, but when he does, he's made them count, picking up 4.5 yards per rush and scoring five touchdowns in seven games. McCoy is also a threat through the air, leading the team with 38 catches, despite not having a touchdown.
The rest of the running game hasn't had good news this year. Leonard Weaver had one carry, and promptly blew out his knee, while Mike Bell was shipped off to Cleveland for Jerome Harrison. Harrison hasn't even touched the ball for the Eagles yet. Weaver's replacement, Owen Schmitt, has been a decent receiving option, but isn't the same presence that Weaver was last year. Without Weaver back there to pick up an extra rusher, the opposing defense has been able to get through at a decent rate, and with the offensive line struggles, that's not a good thing. However, McCoy looks more and more like the running back of the future for the Eagles.
Grade: B. McCoy has been solid, but the rest of the running game has failed to due much. Injuries have hurt, but when Michael Vick is the second leading rusher on the team, and he's only played in two full games, something isn't right.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:
So far this year, Jeremy Maclin has shown why the Eagles traded up for him in the 2009 Draft. Maclin has been the go to receiver this season, catching 30 passes for over 450 yards with six touchdowns, putting him well on pace to get past all the marks he had last year as a rookie. Maclin isn't completely there yet, but he's getting close, and it's looking better and better for the young man out of Missouri. DeSean Jackson is still one of the best deep threats in the NFL, and despite suffering his second concussion in two years against the Falcons, he'll be ready to go against the Colts. Jackson was a favorite target for Kolb and Vick, as he's averaged over 20 yards a catch and scored three times. Jason Avant is still a very, very good third receiver in the slot, and he's not afraid to go across the middle to make a big catch when he needs to.
After last year's excellent season, Brent Celek has been a disappointment so far this year. Part of it can be linked to the quarterback issues, but the rest of it still can come back to him. Celek was one of the best tight ends in the NFC last season, but this year, he's just in the middle of the pack, going through half a season with just 21 catches and only two touchdowns. Both touchdowns came when Kevin Kolb was in at quarterback, showing the good bond that the two players have, but Michael Vick did have Alge Crumpler as his tight end in Atlanta, so he knows how to throw to a tight end in the middle of the field. Celek hasn't even broken 50 yards in a single game so far this season, and he needs to re-establish himself as one of the top tight ends in the NFC if the Eagles want to have a better shot at making the playoffs. If he doesn't, then the offense might find themselves in a big jam. DeSean Jackson isn't a big red zone target, and Riley Cooper, while talented, is just a rookie. Celek needs to get himself back into the offense, and that has to start this week against the Colts.
Grade: B+ for the receivers, C for the tight ends. Maclin has been very good this year, and Jackson is still a great deep threat, even with the concussion issues. When you throw in Jason Avant and Riley Cooper, it's hard to believe that this team was thinking about signing Randy Moss a few years ago. Brent Celek has been a disappointment this year, though. He needs to step up as the season goes along.
Offensive Line:
Where should I start? The offensive line has been bad this season from the first game up until the last one against the Titans. While they've improved a bit as the season has gone on, they still don't look like much of a line, and with Winston Justice, Jason Peters, Nick Cole and Mike McGlynn out there, things aren't going to get much better, either. Even when you have Peters coming out of the lineup because of injury, King Dunlap is coming in to play for him. It's not an improvement at all. I wasn't sure how Peters made the Pro Bowl last season, and this year, he's been even worse. When you throw that in with a second season ending injury in two years to Jammal Jackson, things couldn't be any worse for this offensive line at the moment.
The Eagles have given up 21 sacks so far this season, and more of them have been to Michael Vick than Kevin Kolb. Part of that has to do with Vick's ability to scramble, but the rest of it can be linked back to the fact that this line just isn't that good this year. It's hard to believe that a couple of years ago, Tra Thomas and U.S. Congressman Jon Runyan were the bookends on one of the better lines in the NFL. Now, the Eagles have Jason Peters and Winston Justice out there. It's not a good switch. This line is going to have to keep getting better, and fast, as the season continues, because the Eagles are going to be facing a lot of good rushing defenses in the second half of the season.
Grade: D. Only because they haven't looked as bad in recent weeks.
Defense:
I'm going to look at the defense as a whole, just because that's how it should be looked at. Just like the offense this year, the defense has had good games (against Jacksonville and Atlanta) and bad days (Tennessee comes to mind). While the Eagles have given up 157 points on defense so far this year, they rank closer to the top third of the league in yards allowed, still sticking to that bend, but don't break policy that Jim Johnson brought in so long ago. The defensive line has been very good at shutting down running backs this season, from Ryan Grant to Frank Gore and Michael Turner and Chris Johnson. The Eagles have faced some of the best backs in football, and none of them have reached 100 yards against the defense. That's a very, very good thing.
The defensive line has also created a solid pass rush, picking up 21 sacks in seven games this year. Of course, Trent Cole is leading the way with six sacks, but Juqua Parker has been a solid contributor as well with 4.5 sacks of his own. Brandon Graham, who was on a lot of short lists for the Rookie of the Year on defense, has been a bit of a disappointment, playing in just five games due to ankle and what's being described on ESPN as a "painful prostate infection..." has just two sacks and seven tackles this year. Broderick Bunkley is more than likely out for the season, but Mike Patterson has been holding down the middle of the line and Atonio Dixon has looked good in place of Bunkley.
In the middle of the field, the linebackers have had an ok season so far. Aside from a $50,000 fine, Ernie Sims has been just about what people expected after coming over from Detroit. He's not going to cover many people, but he will make tackles and hit people hard. That's what he does. Stewart Bradley came back from a concussion against the Packers and while he hasn't been quite the force that he was in 2008, he's getting his form back. It usually takes a year to come back from a knee injury like he had, anyway. The strongside linebacker position has been an issue, where Moise Fokou, a seventh round pick from last year's draft, took over for Akeem Jordan. That's a clear weak spot in the defense, and it's going to need to be addressed during the offseason. There's not much that can be done for it now, save for hoping that Fokou continues to improve as the season goes on.
The secondary is another issue. While Nate Allen had a great first month of the season, picking off three passes, he's started to come down a little bit as the season goes along. It'll be interesting to see how he handles the rest of his rookie year. Asante Samuel is still Asante Samuel. He's going to jump routes, make big interceptions at times and then make you scratch your head at others. He'll miss tackles, then bring down a man in the open field. Is he overrated as a cornerback? Yes, a little bit. He's still a good player, though, and most teams in the NFL would want to have him. Quintin Mikell leads the team in tackles and while he still needs some work at reading routes, he's a solid safety that just needs a little more work. I'm still wondering how he ended up as a second team All Pro a few years ago, though. Then, there's Ellis Hobbs, who is still trying to find a way to cover Kenny Britt. He's looking so much, that Dimitri Patterson just came in and took his starting job away. All I can say is it's about time. Hobbs has had good games and bad games, but the only problem is that his bad games tend to cost the Eagles a win. Look at his showing against the Titans and Kenny Britt. Seven catches, 225 yards and three touchdowns later, Tennessee is finishing off what looks like a blowout against the Eagles. That can't happen. That's why Hobbs isn't starting any more. It needed to be done, probably a few weeks before it happened.
Grade: B. The defense has looked good at times, and then laid eggs at others. While they've been able to shut down most of the high powered running backs this year, it's been the lesser known ones, like Ryan Torain and rookie Javhid Best, that have gashed the Eagles. Plus, as the game goes along, the defense has shown a bit of a lack of killer instinct. They almost lost to the Lions at the end, and the Titans came back and blew them out in the fourth quarter. The potential is there for a good defense, but they need to take that next step.
Special Teams:
It turns out the one decent thing that Ellis Hobbs has is returning kicks. While he hasn't been great, Hobbs is averaging almost 24 yards per return. It's nothing special, but at least he's not Reno Mahe. DeSean Jackson has struggled on punt returns this year, and in his place, Jorrick Calvin has stepped in and done a decent job. The punt return position could be a bit better, but if that's one of the biggest worries on special teams, it's ok.
Meanwhile, Sav Rocca is actually punting the ball well this year, averaging over 47 yards per punt. That's almost five yards more per punt than his average last year, and while that doesn't seem like much, five yards in a big situation can make a big difference. It's about time Rocca started booting the ball like that. Right now, he's third in the league in yards per punt, behind just Mike Scifres of the Chargers and Shane Lechler of the Raiders. That's not bad company to be in. David Akers is still just as solid as ever, despite missing three field goals in a single game this year. Other than that one game against the Falcons, Akers has missed just one kick this year, and he still has the power in his leg that got him to this point. Akers hasn't missed an extra point this season, and is still getting good length on his kickoffs. He's getting older, but he's still David Akers.
Special Teams: B+. The return game hasn't been great, but the kicking and punting aspect has been very, very good this year. Akers and Rocca move the grade up a notch or two.
Overall, this team is right where I thought they would be, even without all the drama at the quarterback position. These next few games are going to be the big test, as the Eagles face the Colts, then the Redskins on Monday Night Football and then the New York Giants. Those three games are going to set the stage for the rest of the season, with three more divisional games coming up at the end of the year. These last nine games aren't going to be easy for the Eagles, but if they can make the playoffs in the NFC, then anything can happen.
This isn't about what's coming up, though. This is about what's already happened. So, let's look back on the first eight weeks of the season.
Quarterback:
Boy, things have changed since the season started, haven't they? Donovan McNabb got benched, and all kinds of things are being stirred up...no, that's in Washington. However, things haven't been that easy with the Eagles, where Kevin Kolb got knocked out of the first game of the season with a concussion, then lost his starting job to Michael Vick. Vick looked very good in wins against Detroit and Jacksonville, but then got hurt against the Redskins, giving the job back to Kolb once again. Kolb had two good games against San Francisco and Atlanta, but didn't look as good against the Titans. So far this year, Kolb has passed for over 1,000 yards in about five games, with six touchdowns and four interceptions. Meanwhile, Michael Vick, who is getting the starting job back this week against the Colts, has passed for 799 yards and six touchdowns, with no interceptions and has rushed for 187 yards on the ground. If you're going to make me pick a quarterback for the rest of the season, I would go with Vick, only because of the offensive line situation.
Kevin Kolb still looks like he can start in the NFL, but Michael Vick is the better man for the job at the moment. People might not agree with his past, but the fact is that the man had done a good job as quarterback of this team before he got hurt, and he should be good again. You can argue that he played against a Green Bay team that wasn't ready for him, and against Detroit and Jacksonville, two questionable teams at best this year, but Detroit beat the Redskins, while the Jaguars just took out the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas. Vick's performances are starting to look better as the season goes along. For now, I'm siding with Vick, but the grade at the quarterback position right now is yet to be seen.
Grade: Incomplete. Injuries to both quarterbacks have gotten us little time to see how each can perform over a full season. Taking three or four games is not a large enough sample size. If Vick can play well over the next few weeks, then this will start to look better.
Running Backs:
Believe it or not, but the Eagles have more rushes this year than passes. While some of those plays were quarterback scrambles, others have been to LeSean McCoy, who is starting to establish himself as a good running back in the NFL. McCoy doesn't always get a lot of carries, but when he does, he's made them count, picking up 4.5 yards per rush and scoring five touchdowns in seven games. McCoy is also a threat through the air, leading the team with 38 catches, despite not having a touchdown.
The rest of the running game hasn't had good news this year. Leonard Weaver had one carry, and promptly blew out his knee, while Mike Bell was shipped off to Cleveland for Jerome Harrison. Harrison hasn't even touched the ball for the Eagles yet. Weaver's replacement, Owen Schmitt, has been a decent receiving option, but isn't the same presence that Weaver was last year. Without Weaver back there to pick up an extra rusher, the opposing defense has been able to get through at a decent rate, and with the offensive line struggles, that's not a good thing. However, McCoy looks more and more like the running back of the future for the Eagles.
Grade: B. McCoy has been solid, but the rest of the running game has failed to due much. Injuries have hurt, but when Michael Vick is the second leading rusher on the team, and he's only played in two full games, something isn't right.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:
So far this year, Jeremy Maclin has shown why the Eagles traded up for him in the 2009 Draft. Maclin has been the go to receiver this season, catching 30 passes for over 450 yards with six touchdowns, putting him well on pace to get past all the marks he had last year as a rookie. Maclin isn't completely there yet, but he's getting close, and it's looking better and better for the young man out of Missouri. DeSean Jackson is still one of the best deep threats in the NFL, and despite suffering his second concussion in two years against the Falcons, he'll be ready to go against the Colts. Jackson was a favorite target for Kolb and Vick, as he's averaged over 20 yards a catch and scored three times. Jason Avant is still a very, very good third receiver in the slot, and he's not afraid to go across the middle to make a big catch when he needs to.
After last year's excellent season, Brent Celek has been a disappointment so far this year. Part of it can be linked to the quarterback issues, but the rest of it still can come back to him. Celek was one of the best tight ends in the NFC last season, but this year, he's just in the middle of the pack, going through half a season with just 21 catches and only two touchdowns. Both touchdowns came when Kevin Kolb was in at quarterback, showing the good bond that the two players have, but Michael Vick did have Alge Crumpler as his tight end in Atlanta, so he knows how to throw to a tight end in the middle of the field. Celek hasn't even broken 50 yards in a single game so far this season, and he needs to re-establish himself as one of the top tight ends in the NFC if the Eagles want to have a better shot at making the playoffs. If he doesn't, then the offense might find themselves in a big jam. DeSean Jackson isn't a big red zone target, and Riley Cooper, while talented, is just a rookie. Celek needs to get himself back into the offense, and that has to start this week against the Colts.
Grade: B+ for the receivers, C for the tight ends. Maclin has been very good this year, and Jackson is still a great deep threat, even with the concussion issues. When you throw in Jason Avant and Riley Cooper, it's hard to believe that this team was thinking about signing Randy Moss a few years ago. Brent Celek has been a disappointment this year, though. He needs to step up as the season goes along.
Offensive Line:
Where should I start? The offensive line has been bad this season from the first game up until the last one against the Titans. While they've improved a bit as the season has gone on, they still don't look like much of a line, and with Winston Justice, Jason Peters, Nick Cole and Mike McGlynn out there, things aren't going to get much better, either. Even when you have Peters coming out of the lineup because of injury, King Dunlap is coming in to play for him. It's not an improvement at all. I wasn't sure how Peters made the Pro Bowl last season, and this year, he's been even worse. When you throw that in with a second season ending injury in two years to Jammal Jackson, things couldn't be any worse for this offensive line at the moment.
The Eagles have given up 21 sacks so far this season, and more of them have been to Michael Vick than Kevin Kolb. Part of that has to do with Vick's ability to scramble, but the rest of it can be linked back to the fact that this line just isn't that good this year. It's hard to believe that a couple of years ago, Tra Thomas and U.S. Congressman Jon Runyan were the bookends on one of the better lines in the NFL. Now, the Eagles have Jason Peters and Winston Justice out there. It's not a good switch. This line is going to have to keep getting better, and fast, as the season continues, because the Eagles are going to be facing a lot of good rushing defenses in the second half of the season.
Grade: D. Only because they haven't looked as bad in recent weeks.
Defense:
I'm going to look at the defense as a whole, just because that's how it should be looked at. Just like the offense this year, the defense has had good games (against Jacksonville and Atlanta) and bad days (Tennessee comes to mind). While the Eagles have given up 157 points on defense so far this year, they rank closer to the top third of the league in yards allowed, still sticking to that bend, but don't break policy that Jim Johnson brought in so long ago. The defensive line has been very good at shutting down running backs this season, from Ryan Grant to Frank Gore and Michael Turner and Chris Johnson. The Eagles have faced some of the best backs in football, and none of them have reached 100 yards against the defense. That's a very, very good thing.
The defensive line has also created a solid pass rush, picking up 21 sacks in seven games this year. Of course, Trent Cole is leading the way with six sacks, but Juqua Parker has been a solid contributor as well with 4.5 sacks of his own. Brandon Graham, who was on a lot of short lists for the Rookie of the Year on defense, has been a bit of a disappointment, playing in just five games due to ankle and what's being described on ESPN as a "painful prostate infection..." has just two sacks and seven tackles this year. Broderick Bunkley is more than likely out for the season, but Mike Patterson has been holding down the middle of the line and Atonio Dixon has looked good in place of Bunkley.
In the middle of the field, the linebackers have had an ok season so far. Aside from a $50,000 fine, Ernie Sims has been just about what people expected after coming over from Detroit. He's not going to cover many people, but he will make tackles and hit people hard. That's what he does. Stewart Bradley came back from a concussion against the Packers and while he hasn't been quite the force that he was in 2008, he's getting his form back. It usually takes a year to come back from a knee injury like he had, anyway. The strongside linebacker position has been an issue, where Moise Fokou, a seventh round pick from last year's draft, took over for Akeem Jordan. That's a clear weak spot in the defense, and it's going to need to be addressed during the offseason. There's not much that can be done for it now, save for hoping that Fokou continues to improve as the season goes on.
The secondary is another issue. While Nate Allen had a great first month of the season, picking off three passes, he's started to come down a little bit as the season goes along. It'll be interesting to see how he handles the rest of his rookie year. Asante Samuel is still Asante Samuel. He's going to jump routes, make big interceptions at times and then make you scratch your head at others. He'll miss tackles, then bring down a man in the open field. Is he overrated as a cornerback? Yes, a little bit. He's still a good player, though, and most teams in the NFL would want to have him. Quintin Mikell leads the team in tackles and while he still needs some work at reading routes, he's a solid safety that just needs a little more work. I'm still wondering how he ended up as a second team All Pro a few years ago, though. Then, there's Ellis Hobbs, who is still trying to find a way to cover Kenny Britt. He's looking so much, that Dimitri Patterson just came in and took his starting job away. All I can say is it's about time. Hobbs has had good games and bad games, but the only problem is that his bad games tend to cost the Eagles a win. Look at his showing against the Titans and Kenny Britt. Seven catches, 225 yards and three touchdowns later, Tennessee is finishing off what looks like a blowout against the Eagles. That can't happen. That's why Hobbs isn't starting any more. It needed to be done, probably a few weeks before it happened.
Grade: B. The defense has looked good at times, and then laid eggs at others. While they've been able to shut down most of the high powered running backs this year, it's been the lesser known ones, like Ryan Torain and rookie Javhid Best, that have gashed the Eagles. Plus, as the game goes along, the defense has shown a bit of a lack of killer instinct. They almost lost to the Lions at the end, and the Titans came back and blew them out in the fourth quarter. The potential is there for a good defense, but they need to take that next step.
Special Teams:
It turns out the one decent thing that Ellis Hobbs has is returning kicks. While he hasn't been great, Hobbs is averaging almost 24 yards per return. It's nothing special, but at least he's not Reno Mahe. DeSean Jackson has struggled on punt returns this year, and in his place, Jorrick Calvin has stepped in and done a decent job. The punt return position could be a bit better, but if that's one of the biggest worries on special teams, it's ok.
Meanwhile, Sav Rocca is actually punting the ball well this year, averaging over 47 yards per punt. That's almost five yards more per punt than his average last year, and while that doesn't seem like much, five yards in a big situation can make a big difference. It's about time Rocca started booting the ball like that. Right now, he's third in the league in yards per punt, behind just Mike Scifres of the Chargers and Shane Lechler of the Raiders. That's not bad company to be in. David Akers is still just as solid as ever, despite missing three field goals in a single game this year. Other than that one game against the Falcons, Akers has missed just one kick this year, and he still has the power in his leg that got him to this point. Akers hasn't missed an extra point this season, and is still getting good length on his kickoffs. He's getting older, but he's still David Akers.
Special Teams: B+. The return game hasn't been great, but the kicking and punting aspect has been very, very good this year. Akers and Rocca move the grade up a notch or two.
Overall, this team is right where I thought they would be, even without all the drama at the quarterback position. These next few games are going to be the big test, as the Eagles face the Colts, then the Redskins on Monday Night Football and then the New York Giants. Those three games are going to set the stage for the rest of the season, with three more divisional games coming up at the end of the year. These last nine games aren't going to be easy for the Eagles, but if they can make the playoffs in the NFC, then anything can happen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)