Eagles Fry Fish 17-7

McNabb Hurt Again:

After throwing two early interceptions, Donovan McNabb got knocked out of the game by a take down from a blitzing Dolphins corner. McNabb sprained his right ankle, almost exactly one year away from when he tore his ACL in the same leg. X-rays were negative, but Donovan sat out the rest of the game. Right now his status for next week is uncertain.

Feeley Gets Revenge:

A.J. Feeley stepped in for the injured McNabb, and threw the third Eagles interception of the game. After that mistake Feeley settled down. He completed 13 of 19 passes, for 116 yards, and 1 touch down. Feeley did a good job of spreading the ball around, hitting eight different receivers.

A.J. was traded to Miami in 2004 for a second round pick(ended up being Reggie Brown), and was once considered the franchise QB. Feeley struggled in Miami, and was traded away to San Diego. After a brief stint there Feeley was released in 2006, and the Eagles quickly brought him back to Philadelphia. Now Feeley got his chance to stick it to his former team, and succeeded in defeating them. Dolphins fans must really hate him.

Another Huge Goal Line Stand:

For the second week in a row, the Eagles defense was put to the test. The Dolphins had a first-and-goal from the one yard line, and things looked bad for Philadelphia.

On first down they ran Jesse Chatman up the middle, but the Eagles defense burst through the line, and tackled him for a 1 yard loss. On second down John Beck dropped back, and made a pretty nice pass, but Takeo Spikes was able to break it up. The Dolphins chose to run again on third down, and the Eagles gang tackle Jesse Chatman.

After a timeout, Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron decided to go for it on 4th-and-goal down 10 points late in the fourth quarter. The play was an outside toss to Chatman, and DE Juqua Thomas was all over it. Chatman danced backwards, and was tackled for a 13 yard loss.

The Eagles took over on downs, and this great defensive series basically sealed the game.

Career Day For B-West:

Brian Westbrook is just amazing. He continues to show how valuable he is to the team every week. Andy Reid fed Westbrook the ball early, and often. So much so, that he rushed for 148 yards, a career best. Westbrook broke a few big runs, and is simply just the best player on the team. I don't know where this team would be without Westbrook.

Kearse Deactivated:

The news had come out earlier in the week, that Juqua Thomas would be starting over Kearse, but I really did not think they would not play Kearse at all. He may be a little banged up, but it seems he has completely fallen out of favor with the coaching staff. It will be interesting to see if Kearse plays next week against New England.

Starting in his place, Juqua Thomas has done a nice job. He really has become a great pick up for the Eagles. Thomas was on the streets looking for a job a few years ago, and now is a starter. Ironically it was Jevon Kearse who convinced the Eagles to try out Thomas, as Juqua was an old friend of his back in Tennessee.

Stupid Penalties By Smith:

On the Eagles first possession, Andy Reid called a flea-flicker play, that was perfectly executed for a touch down to Reggie Brown. Except the play was called back by a stupid holding penalty on L.J. Smith. Smith had help outside from Brent Celek, and there was no reason to grab onto Jason Taylor's jersey. The drive then ended in a McNabb interception.

Later in the game Smith made another bonehead play. A.J. Feeley fired a touch down pass to wide receiver Jason Avant, and after the play L.J. was called for a 15 yard personal foul penalty. Luckily the penalty was after the play, and enforced on the kickoff, but it still hurt the team. The Dolphins then got great field position, and were almost able to score on that drive.

If L.J. wants more money, he needs to stop killing this team with stupid mistakes. A big fumble last week, and this week he makes 2 stupid penalties. That is just unacceptable.

Special Teams Still Suck:

The special teams coverage teams showed that they still suck today. Early in the second quarter, speedy return man Tedd Ginn made one man miss, got some good blocks, and out ran the punter for an 87 yard punt return touch down. It was Ginn's first return TD of his short career.

The special teams has been terrible at covering kickoffs, and punts most of the season. I don't get how it has gotten so bad, because they used to be great at it(a few years ago). Now I see why Dawkins went out to cover the kickoff against Washington. Even he knows they suck.

Eagles Scalp Skins

Goal Line Stand Saved Season:

The Eagles defense had been on it's heels most of the game. The defensive line had gotten almost no pressure to this point, the secondary was brutal, and the linebackers were missing tackles.

The Redskins had a first and goal at the 2 yard line, after Donovan McNabb fumbled the ball a few play before. A Redskins score would put them up 9, and would have likely sealed the game.

The defense had enough. On six plays inside the five(a penalty in the middle) the Eagles defense rose to the occasion. They held the Redskins to a field goal, and gave the offense a chance to win the game.

This stand reminded me of Lito's interception against Carolina last year. A play that saved the Eagles season, and sparked the entire team. I only hope this has the same effect.

A Play To Remember:

After the goal line stand, the Eagles still had to score. Who do they turn to in situations like these? Brian Westbrook. Put the ball in Westbrook's hands, and let him do his magic.

On a perfectly executed screen play, McNabb tossed the ball to Brian over the heads of three defensive lineman. Then there were two devastating blocks by Shawn Andrews, and Jon Runyan. This got Westbrook into the clear, and he did the rest from there. A great cutback left, and Westbrook almost had a clear path to the end zone. As he dashed 50 yards or so, he made a cutback right to avoid the last possible tacklers, and scored.

This 57 yard amazing catch, and run was the play of the season for the Birds. It reminded me of the Tampa Bay play from last year, except this time there would be no miracle field goal. This time his great play will be remembered.

Westbrook had an awesome game. He rushed for 100 yards on 20 carries, he had 5 catches for 83 yards, and three total touch downs.

If the Eagles want to continue to win games, the formula is simple. Get the ball in Brian Westbrook's hands.

McNabb Showed Mobility:

Donovan looked like the Donovan of old. He was moving well in the pocket, he escaped, and run a few times. He even had some nice moves in the open field. It looks like the knee is starting to not be an issue. At least is wasn't on Sunday.

McNabb did not have a perfect game, as a few pass were nearly intercepted, but when you look at the final numbers he played well. He completed 20 of 28 passes for 251 yards, and 4 touch downs.

The offense scored 5 times, and looked a lot better than it has most of the season. The Eagles were successful in the red zone, and that was a great sign. The Birds need to build off this, and continue to make strides.

A Gutsy Call:

What a call by Andy Reid on 4th, and inches. The Eagles had fallen into a 3rd, and 21, and Donovan Fired a bullet to Jason Avant. They fell inches short of the first down, and as Andy Reid was standing there looking at the distance they needed, he decided to go for it.

Normally you always punt on 4th down at your own 39 yard line, but the Redskins offense had been moving all over the Eagles. Reid knew this, and could not afford to go down another score. He put faith in his guys that they could get the few inches, and they did.

The call was a QB sneak. Donovan Got behind Jammal Jackson, Todd Herremans, and Shawn Andrews, and just dove forward to get the first down. This eventually led to the Eagles scoring on a touch down pass to L.J. Smith.

The decision was huge, and Andy made the right one. This helped the offense gain confidence. Great job by Andy Reid.

FINALLY!:

Reggie Brown pointed to his wrist, to symbolize that it was about time he got in the end zone. Brown had a very slow start to the season, and there had been very high expectations from him. The past three games he has slowly become more involved, and yesterday he made a great adjustment to an under thrown McNabb pass. I'm not sure how the safety did not see the ball, but Reggie did, and was able to haul it in. It was great to see him score, and hopefully this will get the ball rolling.

Brown wasn't the only one to get their first touch down of the season. L.J. Smith found the end zone as well. L.J. has been banged up for most of the year recovering from his hernia surgery. He finally looks to be back to his old self. He made some nice grabs, and got a crucial touch down on third down in the red zone.

Smith did fumble once, which really hurt the team. It lead to Washington's first touchdown. I hate the way he holds the ball when he runs. He uses one arm, and does not even tuck it away. The ball is just resting on his forearm, and is not pressed against his body like it should be. L.J. has had the issue for a while now, and he needs to correct it already. Andy Reid should put him to fumble school, like Tom Coughlin did to Tiki Barber. Teach him a new way to carry the football, and make sure he sticks with it. You can not afford to have plays like that in the NFL.

Revenge Of James Thrash:

Yes that's right folks. It was not T.O. this time. It was James stinkin Trash. The same James Thrash who almost never made a play. The same guy who got punked by Carolina in the NFC Championship Game. He somehow managed to have a field day on the Eagles. Thrash had five receptions for 85 yards, and two touchdowns. That is right TWO touch downs. I think that is double the amount Thrash had for all of the 2003 season as a starter.

The Eagles secondary should be embarrassed for the game they had. Will James was abused once again. They really need to just cut him. He is becoming the weakest link on the team. Sheldon Brown even let Thrash get some catches. Lito Sheppard let 37 year old Keenan McCardell score a touch down.

They just had a really poor day collectively. The only one who made a play, was Quinton Mikell. He forced a fumble, and Joselio Hanson recovered.

I know I have ripped Hanson in the past, but he should be the nickle CB at this point. Will James is getting murdered out there. It is time to at least put somebody there who has some speed.

Has Joe Gibbs Lost It?:

I really respect the man, and understand he is already inducted into the hall of fame, but he did an awful job coaching this game.

The Redskins committed 11 penalties, including crucial third-down miscues, and again suffered from questionable clock management and play-calling. Coach Joe Gibbs had no timeouts left in the final crucial minutes, and a conservative call on a late third-and-goal virtually guaranteed the Eagles would have a chance to win.

I was very shocked at how poorly the Redskins managed the game.

Season Saved. For Now:

Just when I think the Birds are done, they pull me back in. This was not the most convincing victory, but the Eagles will take it. A win is a win. Get them anyway you can.

I really expected the Eagles to lose this game too. I had lost my faith in them, and they surprised me.

Next week the Eagles have to handle business against the 0-9 Miami Dolphins, because after that is a trip to New England.

Reid and McNabb Deserve a Pass

Get Rid Of Reid?:

The Eagles are off to a dreadful start this season. I doubt anybody expected a 3-5 record to this point of the season. While everybody is searching for answers, let me remind them of this.

Andy Reid is a great coach. Take a look at his body of work in Philadelphia.

In 2006, Reid overcame a 5-6 start and the loss of two of their most explosive players in quarterback Donovan McNabb and defensive end Jevon Kearse in leading the team to season-ending, five-game win streak to capture the NFC East division championship.

The 2004 Eagles clinched the NFC East title with five games remaining in the regular season and the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs after a 13-1 start. Along the way, Reid passed Greasy Neale (66) for the most wins in franchise history. The Eagles earned their first trip to the Super Bowl since 1980 after defeating Atlanta in the NFC Championship game.

In 2003, the Eagles overcame a 0-2 start and a slew of injuries to post their second consecutive 12-win season. During that season, Reid registered his 50th career win (in his 81st game) to become the fastest coach in team history to reach that milestone. A year earlier, Reid was the overwhelming choice as the NFL's coach of the year as the Eagles thrived without the services of McNabb to still capture home field advantage in the NFC playoffs.

After a 5-11 mark in his first season, Reid led the 2000 Eagles to the greatest turnaround in franchise history, finishing 2nd in the NFC East at 11-5 and earning a trip to the NFC Divisional Playoffs.

Reid's 8 playoff wins are most in team history and tied for 18th in league history. Of the 20 coaches who have won eight or more playoff games, only Vince Lombardi (10), Tom Flores (11), Jimmy Johnson (13), and Mike Shanahan (13) have manned the sidelines in fewer playoffs games than Reid's 14.

Andy's teams have never had back to back losing seasons.

What he has done here is more than impressive. Reid has built a foundation here, to have a lot of winning football teams.

To those who want Andy Reid gone, I ask you this. Who do you want to take his place? There are not very many good candidates even available. More than likely if Reid were to resign, Marty Morningweg would be promoted to head coach. Is that really the answer?

It's time to calm down this get rid of Reid nonsense now. Right now he is dealing with a family crisis, and fans should show support during this rough time. Reid will pull this team together again, and the Eagles will rise up once again.

McNabb Can Not Win:

No matter what Donovan McNabb says, he will be criticized by the media. There has been two days of stories about Donovan not taking the blame for the teams losses, and it is all based off one sentence from his press conference. McNabb has had to defend himself in his own blog, and he was even ripped for doing that.

The media makes a habit of taking McNabb's words out of context, to create a controversy. They especially like to pull these stunts when the Eagles are not doing well. When the Eagles are losing these stories seem to catch a lot more fire, then when the Eagles are doing well.

It truly is a no win situation for Donovan. If he does not answer the question, he gets ripped for that. If he speaks honestly he is told to shut up. If he gives a politically correct response, he is labeled a company man. No matter how he approaches the questions directed his way, there will be a negative story to follow.

McNabb is payed to play football, not worry about what to say in his press conference.

I know that McNabb is having a poor season, but people need to remember that he is still under a year removed from major knee surgery. Most athletes will tell you it takes about two years before you are fully right from an ACL. Donovan has to play through this to get better, and there is no other way around it.

We all know how well Donovan can play when healthy. Did everybody forget the 2004 Super Bowl season already? How about last year when Five was an early MVP candidate before getting hurt?

The same fans who voted McNabb the best QB in Eagles franchise history, are now calling for rookie Kevin Kolb to replace him. Does anybody really think Kolb is ready now? How about next year? I sure don't have faith in Kevin Kolb. I have never seen him play outside of the pre-season.

Ironically Kevin Kolb is the same pick that fans booed on draft day, and ripped ever since. Now people think he is the solution to this Eagles team?

I think people should be more careful for what they wish for. When things are going bad everybody wants to bench the QB and fire the head coach, but it is not the smart move in this case.

I would hate to see fans reaction when Kevin Kolb is the starting QB, and Marty Morningweg is the head coach.

Donovan Clears The Air Again

What seems to be a reoccurring theme, Donovan McNabb once again had to explain his comments from a recent press conference. This time he decided to do so on his Yardbarker blog:

I was surprised to hear that people were saying that I am not taking blame for us being 3-5. I did say in my press conference earlier today (http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/Story.asp?story_id=14381) that "I'm definitely not the whole reason why we lost these games" and "I'm not fully [to] blame for everything that goes on around here."

But I also said, "There are a lot of mistakes I've made. [Whether] it's throws I want back, [bad] decisions, whatever it may be, there are mistakes that I've made in every game- a lot of things that you're not used to doing, a lot of things that you know you can do better. Everybody makes mistakes. But, in this situation, there's no room for error, and that goes for each individual person. There's no room for error."

I wish it were easy to find out what is going wrong – then it would be easier to fix. Have I made mistakes? Yes. Do I expect more from myself? Absolutely yes. This is truly frustrating for me because I am giving all I have in practice, in film study, and in the games. I share a passion with Eagles fans to see this team win each week. It hasn't happened as often as we'd like thus far. I haven't given up on myself, our my teammates. And I certainly haven't given up on this season.

The media is really reaching with this story. After a bad game, they take one sentence from his entire press conference, and try to create controversy. They of course left out all the quotes where Donovan said that he could play better. Brian Westbrook even agreed with Donovan. This is what he said:

"The tough part about being a quarterback is that a lot of times you're going to get a lot of the praise when the guys are doing well. A lot of the situation is that you did a great job and you're going to get a lot of praise, some undue, but you're still going to get a lot of praise. When things are going badly, you're going to get a lot of people talking badly about you as well. In Donovan's situation, everything that goes wrong on this team is not Donovan's fault. Everything from the fumbles, to the interceptions, to the sacks, those are not all Donovan's fault, not all of them, not totally. Because it's a team sport, one man can't make a football team. He has some blame on some of those things, running backs have some blame, tight ends, wide receivers, offensive line has some blame, as well. Because he's a marquee guy and he's almost the face of the organization, he takes a lot of the blame for things."

I did not see this quote anywhere in the stories posted. I guess it would not be much a of a story, if they decided to put all the information in it. The fact is Donovan did not say anything wrong, and people need to stop worrying about what he says, and worry about how he plays.

If you did not see the full press conference, then check it out right here. Donovan McNabb's PC 10/07/07

Cowboys Embarrass Eagles 38-17

T.O. Gets His Revenge:

Eagles vs T.O. round 2 was a huge victory for WR Terrell Owens. T.O. stuck it to the Eagles by catching 10 passes for 174 yards, including a 45 yard touch down. He was a difference maker, and the Eagles secondary was pathetic trying to stop him.

Last year the Eagles shut down Owens in his return to the Linc, but this time T.O. gets his. As much as it pains me to say it, T.O. was the player of the game.

Defense?:

Did the defense even show up? Dallas scored 38 points, finished the game with a total of 434 yards, and went 8-12 on third down. The Eagles defense was constantly on it's heels. They did not just bend, they were completely broken down.

The worst part is they are not making many big plays. The defense had no sacks, no fumbles, and no answer for the Cowboys attack. The only big play made by the defense was a Lito Sheppard interception. Lito of course also left the game with a knee injury, and did not return.

Tony Romo signed a huge contract recently, and he proved he deserved it. He had an awesome game completing 20 of 25 pass attempts, for 324 yards, and 3 TDs. The Eagles defense never even layed a finger on him. There was no pressure from anybody all game, and Romo calmly hit his receivers.

The defense has been the best thing about this team. Other than the 97 yard debacle against the Bears, they had played great all season. Last night they stunk. They were completely embarrassing, and did nothing to even slow the Cowboys down. If the score was not so one sided, it could probably have even been worse

McNabb Was Bad:

Donovan had one of his worst games ever against the Cowboys. Through out his career, he has been a Cowboys killer. That was far from the case Sunday night.

On the first offensive play of the game, Donovan dropped back to pass. It appeared that nobody was open, Donovan held the ball way too long, and fumbled the ball while being hit from behind. McNabb has to throw that ball away. If the play is not there, then get rid of the football. That play basically summed up how the entire game went for the Eagles. It was disastrous.

Donovan also had two interceptions in the game. One was one of the worst passes I have ever seen. I have no idea what he saw, or what he thought he saw, but I saw a receiver double covered. For a guy who does not like to take very many risks, it is very puzzling as to why he thought he could fit a ball between these two. Again I go back to this. If the play is not there, find your check down, or throw it away. Do not try to make something out of nothing. More times than not, it will be a mistake.

Fourteen of Donovan's 27 completions went to Brian Westbrook. Westbrook is a better receiver than most RBs, but you can not make him 50% of the pass offense. You need to spread the ball around, and let other guys make plays. There were some other plays to be made, but Five missed them. He either did not see them, or had an errant throw.

The offensive line did have some breakdowns, and at times there may have been no open receivers, but the bottom line is Donovan has to be better.

Fans Were Weak:

Not that it really matters, but the fans were not there for this game. The first thing I noticed is the place was full of Cowboys fans. Every section had at least a few of them. A lot of people must have given up on the season, and sold their tickets online.

The crowd was still pumped until McNabb fumbled. Then it seemed like everybody was sitting on their hands. I went to smoke during halftime, and saw lots of people exiting the stadium. I know the Eagles were getting beat bad, but how do you leave any game at halftime? That blew my mind.

By the 4th quarter, the place was basically empty. Lots of Cowboys fans stayed, and very few Eagles fans were scattered throughout the stadium. Me, and my friend were the only two people left in our section with ten minutes left to go in the game.

I hear all the time from other fans, especially older fans, how great Eagles fans are, and how they always show up to every game, and I always believed that these were some of the best fans in the country.

When I stood up to scream on third down, people looked at me like I was crazy. The only time the fans ever got loud, was to boo Owens. Outside of that you would think the game was played in California. It was pathetic.

Season Is Over:

Well I think it has finally sunk in. The Eagles are just an average at best football team. They are in last place, and have already lost three division games. The division is well out of reach right now with 3 teams to climb, and the Cowboys at 7-1.

They did not just play bad to the Cowboys, they went up against a better team. The Cowboys beat the Eagles in every facet of the game, and you saw a superior team beat the Eagles.

Even if the Eagles were to make the playoffs(doubtful), they would stand no chance against the Cowboys, Patriots, Colts, and other top teams. So realistically speaking this season is over.

I can hear the calls for Kevin Kolb already getting louder. The rest of this football year is probably going to suck.

T.O. Rips McNabb, Reid, Eagles

Terrell Owens came out firing Friday and didn't stop until he ensured he would receive another rude reception in Philadelphia.

Two days after saying his feud with Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was a thing of the past, the Dallas Cowboys receiver took repeated shots on his weekly radio show at McNabb and his former team.

"It's so evident that ever since I left nothing's been going right there," said Owens, ignoring the fact Philadelphia won the NFC East title last season. "I'm not saying I'm the sole reason, but when I was there we were very successful. Now it seems like everything's snowballing."

Owens played two seasons for the Eagles, helping them reach the Super Bowl in 2004. But Philadelphia cut him after the 2005 season, a campaign in which he tore apart the team's locker room with his contract demands and continual sniping at McNabb.

The Eagles stumbled out of the gate this season and will take a 3-4 record into Sunday's game with the 6-1 Cowboys. Despite his team's struggles, McNabb said recently the road to the division crown still goes through Philadelphia, even though a loss to Dallas would give the Eagles an 0-3 mark within the division.

"That's wishful thinking," Owens said on 790 The Ticket in Miami. "He has to be the only one thinking that way. The road to the Super Bowl has to come through Dallas, Texas. We'll have to see how things come out, but it doesn't seem like things are faring too well up there in Philly."

In addition to their poor play, the Eagles are also dealing with coach Andy Reid's messy personal life. On Friday, Reid said he planned to coach the team for the long term despite being chastised by a judge who likened the coach's home to a "drug emporium."

Reid's two sons received jail sentences Thursday for offenses that included a road-rage incident that involved flashing a gun at a fellow driver.

"I can't say I feel sorry for them," Owens said of the Eagles. "Obviously, with coach Reid's situation, I wish him well. Hopefully, he can get his kids and his family situation back in order. But other than that, I'm happy to be in the situation I'm in."

Eagles fans burned Owens' jersey in the parking lot at Lincoln Financial Field before the team's game with Dallas last season. The Eagles swept the Cowboys last season.

>>Express News

So much for the "more mature" T.O. His bi-polar must have kicked in again, because he has basically done a complete 180 from what he was saying a few days ago. He even stooped low enough to take a shot at Andy Reid for his family crisis. I never wish injury on another player, but with this jerk I make an exception. I hope Dawkins stretches him like Michael Irvin.

Roy Williams Takes Shot At McNabb

It started innocently. Donovan McNabb said earlier in the week that
anyone's plans to win the NFC East have to go through Philadelphia. And most
Cowboys agreed with the quarterback, based on the five division titles the
Eagles have won in the last six years.

Until, that is, Thursday.

"Right now, they are in no position to talk about everything going
through Philly," Cowboys safety Roy Williams said of the 3-4 Eagles.

"Some teams went to Philly and beat them. No one is worried about 'You have to go through Philly.'

>>DallasNews.com

Thanks for the bulletin board material Roy. I doubt the Eagles really needed another reason to hate the Cowgirls, but you just gave them one.

Williams could have taken the high road, but obviously he is a classless punk. Why is he talking, when he is always out of position?

Eagles Beat Vikings 23-16

A Win is a Win:

This was not a dominating performance, or a very convincing win by any means. In the end though all that matters is that the Eagles leave Minnesota with a W. They have let a few of those get away this year, and this was a much needed win.

At the end of the year nobody asks who you beat, or how bad you beat them, they just ask how many games did you win. At this point the Eagles will take them any way they can get them.

Red Zone Improves:

The Eagles are scoring touch downs believe it or not.

The offense was not great, but much improved in the red zone. Some creative play calling helped out.

I loved the shovel pass to Westbrook. They play had great design, and it worked perfectly. Jason Avant lined up in the backfield between Westbrook, and Tapeh. Then Avant motioned to the slot, bringing the Vikings MLB with him. McNabb sold the fake very well, and Westbrook just waltzed into the end zone. Plays that are designed that well, usually tend to work. Give a lot of credit to Andy Reid, and Marty Morningweg for that one.

Later in the game the Eagles scored again when Brian Westrook went air born, and dived over the Vikings defensive line. Westbrook reminds me of Priest Holmes the way he does that jump.

Even though he did not have a great day on the ground, Westbrook was still a huge factor. So much that safety Darren Sharper got jacked up by Jason Avant paying such close attention to 36. Westbrook's two Red Zone scores were the difference in the game.

Hopefully the team can build off this, and do even better against Dallas.

Receivers Making Plays:

What a nice game for Reggie Brown. Reggie had a career high 8 receptions for 105 yards, including an acrobatic catch on the sidelines. Glad to see Reggie getting more involved.

Speaking of great catches, what about the one handed grab by Kevin Curtis? That was amazing. Curtis also had a great 30 yard catch and run on a slant.

The receivers were actually helping McNabb, and making his job easier.

Greg Lewis even made some nice catches. He was once covered by a linebacker. A mismatch Donovan, and Lewis easily exploited. Then Greg even scooped one off the turf. Making a low McNabb pass a positive play.

L.J. Smith was blanked, but expect him to get more involved as he feels more comfortable with his injury.

On Side Kick Lit Fire Under Defense:

Minnesota marched right down the field(with some help from Eagles penalties), and scored on their first possession of the game. Then Brad Childress called for a surprise onside kick. The play caught the Eagles off guard, and the Vikings recovered.

I think this play infuriated the Eagles defense, and from that point on they made sure the Vikings would not get in the end zone again.

The very first play of that Vikings drive, resulted in a huge sack from Trent Cole. Cole just blasted through the middle so fast, and made the most impressive sack I have seen all season.

This set the tempo for the rest of the game, and the other Eagles fed off of this.

Cole is playing at a pro bowl level. He has really emerged as one of the leagues best pass rushers. He finished the game with 2 sacks(9 for the season), and had several big tackles in run support. Right now Trent Cole is the best player on the defense, and other teams better start to double team him. Otherwise he will make them pay.

Holcomb is Lucky:

I know Kelly's first start ended badly, when he went head first into the turf on a Juqua Thomas sack. So how is he lucky? He is lucky to not be paralyzed. When you look at the replay, it is amazing that all he ended up with is some bruising on his vertebrates. I felt bad for Kelly, as he was finally getting another chance to prove himself, and left with an injury. He should be thanking God to still be walking.

Minnesota Loves Childress:

Run Defense Was Great:

NFL's leading rusher Adrian Peterson was pretty much held in check. The entire defense should be credited for this, but give extra props to Brodrick Bunkley, Mike Patterson, and Trent Cole. Cole had a few tackles for losses, and Bunkley was a force in the middle. He has not been getting much pressure on the QB, but he is making is tough to run up the middle.

Peterson did have a few good runs, but must of the game he was getting stuffed. He really had nowhere to go. Probably his best play, was when he literally jumped over the defensive line, floating in the air like Michael Jordan. I guess if you can't run through them, jump over them?

Kevin Kolb Era On Hold:

I really must vent a little here. I am sick of fans throwing five under the bus constantly. Did everybody forget that he is coming back from major knee reconstruction? You should have expected there were going to be some limitations with Donovan early on. Can everybody stop being so damn impatient, and actually back the best QB in Philadelphia Eagles history for once?

I understand that McNabb has been very inconsistent so far this year, but he will improve. You can already see that some of his mobility is starting to come back. McNabb had a few plays where he moved similar to the "old Donovan". Andy even called a QB draw in the game.

Kevin Kolb is a rookie from the University of Houston. He may be a great QB one day, but that day is not today. He is not ready, and he wont be ready realistically for a few years.

Football is like war. I would much rather go to battle with Donovan McNabb, than A.J. Feeley, or a rookie. How soon people forget all the great things that McNabb has done here. This team was in a Super Bowl with Donovan! You don't just bail on him because he's had a few rough games.

Also I wonder where all the Jeff Garcia lovers are now? The Bucs have lost two straight games, and Garcia was terrible against Jacksonville. Three INTs, including one returned for a TD.

Everybody needs to quit whining, and realize that McNabb is the man in Philadelphia. He is the captain of the ship, and the team will sink or swim with him.

McNabb Still Confident

Donovan McNabb is the first to admit that in the first five games of the season, the Eagles have dug themselves a pretty big hole. Sitting at the bottom of the NFC East and having already dropped games to division rivals Washington and New York, some might say it is time to start thinking about the Wild Card.

Not McNabb.

"I think one thing that people tend to forget is - the NFC East championship comes through Philadelphia," he said yesterday. "We have to protect our territory and we have enough time to do that."

While the situation could undoubtedly be more favorable, McNabb fully believes that until someone officially knocks them off, the Eagles remain the kings of the NFC East. Yes, Dallas is 5-1, New York is 4-2 and Washington is 3-2, but McNabb feels as though if the Eagles take care of their business, anything can happen.

"I think at this point, it's hard to say where anybody is. You may start out 5-0 and you could tail off," McNabb said. "The Giants started 6-2 last year and then they kind of fell off. Nobody ever remembers September and October, they always remember November, December."

No matter how well the Eagles play, they will need some of their division rivals to - as McNabb put it - tail off. Dallas has been especially hot in the early going, and New York has won four in a row. Washington's defense has been one of the best of the league, ranking third.

In addition, all three have favorable matchups this weekend — Washington hosts injury-riddled Arizona, the Giants host sliding San Francisco and Dallas hosts inconsistent Minnesota — but McNabb stressed that unless Philadelphia remains focused on the task it hand, it will not matter what other teams do.

"We can't worry about what other teams are doing," he said. "We can only focus on what we need to do here."

McNabb is not necessarily a rah-rah type of motivator, and his strong words on Wednesday were encouraging to some of his teammates.

"We definitely know that if Don is all in, and with a statement like that, we're all in," wide receiver Jason Avant said. "We don't want to let him down in any kind of way. That's how he feels and that's the way we feel."

McNabb also said Wednesday that he thinks the offense specifically is getting closer to returning to the form it displayed in previous seasons. Still, even his teammates on the other side of the ball appreciate the vote of confidence and share his enthusiasm.

"It makes me feel really good. That's our man. That's our leader," safety Quintin Mikell said. "If he has that much confidence in that, it gives us that much confidence. I think we are on to the right track right now."

Some players also said that while McNabb's declaration is encouraging, the team never wavered in its belief even throughout the slow start.

"We had confidence already, we just need to go out and perform. It's obvious that victories aren't going to come easy. We have to go out and earn them," safety Sean Considine said. "It's a lot of hard work during the week so we can go out and hopefully perform well on Sundays."

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Giants Sack Eagles

Giant Loss Puts Birds In 1-3 Hole



Under Pressure:

"It's frustrating," said McNabb, who finished 15-of-31 for 138 yards. "For an offense that has had so much success over the previous years, for us to come out and play the way we played today is embarrassing."

Embarrassing? No. Embarrassing is when you accidentally let one rip when you are on a date. This was atrocious, mind boggling, horrific, and just disastrous.

The Eagles offense did not even have a chance today, as they were outplayed, out numbered, and flat out out coached.

The Giants sacked Donovan McNabb 12 times, tying an NFL record. Former Eagles linebackers coach Steve Spagnola called a brilliant game, and he kept heavy pressure coming all night. The Giants who have tremendous depth at defensive end, knew they would get a good pass rush from the edges, and blitzed the Eagles A gap constantly, to get after Donovan from all angles.

One of those great ends, Osi Umenyiora lead the way with six sacks, and was a Giant pain all game. Even when Donovan was not getting sacked, he was being chased, or forced out of the pocket. This lead to many of the sacks, rushed throws, and errant passes. The pass protection scheme definitely failed tonight, and the Eagles game plan was very poor. Early in the first quarter, on a 3rd down play, Reno Mahe was responsible for picking up Umenyiora blitzing from the linebacker position. That is a match up I hope I never see again, as Osi easily pushed Mahe away to get a sack.

The Eagles offensive line was supposed to be a strength of the team, but tonight it was a major weakness. You will not see many victories with pass protection this poor. Throughout the game, the Eagles used a shotgun spread formation, that had minimal pass protection, and this seemed to play right into the Giants blitzing defense. It seemed like the Eagles were getting beat by their own defensive scheme.

Another thing that the Birds offense tried, was switching to a no huddle offense. They have used this several times this year, and it has failed miserably. When you have an offense as complicated as the Eagles, it is very difficult to operate this way, because you are constantly changing personnel packages for different plays. Teams like the Colts can run it so efficiently, because they will use the same exact personnel, and the same exact formation for an entire drive. Using the no huddle has killed a lot of Eagles drives this year, and they need to just give up on it.

Justice Was Not Served:

The Eagles streak of 19 straight games with the offensive line intact, was broken Sunday. With Tra Thomas sidelined for the game, second year tackle Winston Justice got his first career start, and it is sure to be one he would like to forget about. To be blunt about his performance, he was just absolutely terrible.

To make matters worse, John Madden made sure to point out how bad 74 messing up. Then ripped the Eagles for not helping him out more in pass protection. If only Andy had listened to that advice, because Justice was responsible for four of the six sacks that Osi Umenyiora had. Osi ran around him, ran inside, and bull dozed him to get to McNabb. Everybody knew this would be a big test for him going into the game, but nobody expected he would get schooled this bad.

Justice also did poorly in run blocking. The Eagles had tremendous success running the ball to the left last week, and this week they were very inconsistent. Justice was not holding the point of attack, and a few runs got blown up for no gains.

As the game progressed Justice even seemed rattled, as he was repeatedly called for false starts, and possibly was lined up incorrectly one play. (could have been Brent Celek, one of them messed up

The only positive thing I can say for this lousy debut, is that things can only go up from here. It can't get any worse. Osi seemed to agree.

"It was like a video game out there," Umenyiora said. "Winston Justice is a very good football player. Tonight was just one of those nights. He'll learn from that experience."

Justice accepted responsibility.

"I am going to shoulder the loss for the team," he said. "I got out of my technique, tried to make adjustments and they just didn't work."

Strange Miscue Costs Birds:

With one minute, and fifty six seconds to go in the third quarter, McNabb took the snap from under center, and then it appeared that he just dropped the ball. Which was then recovered by New York linebacker Kawika Mitchell, and returned the ball seventeen yards for a score.

With a slow motion replay, you could see that as McNabb was about to hand the ball off to Correll Buckhalter, Thomas Tapeh accidentally bumped into the ball, and created the biggest play(mistake) of the game.

Andy Reid tried to challenge the play, but to no avail. The play would stand, and this would be a back breaker for the Eagles, as they were unable to comeback from a 16-0 deficit. The Picture I found, shows that Schobel contacted him, with his knee down. Way to go refs. After further review you blew it!

I am not sure if the mistake was on Donovan, or Tapeh, but with the way the Eagles offense was sputtering, I knew the game was over right there.

Injuries Keep Piling Up:

Now I know it is lame to use injuries as en excuse for an NFL loss, and I will not do that. However it is alarmingly scary at how many of the Eagles better players are injured.

None scarier than Brian Westbrook's torn abdominal muscle. When Michelle Tafoya described in detail how Brian's ribs would actually poke through the tear, It became clear to me that Westbrook's injury was very severe.

My guess is that Brian will be on the shelf for a long time, and not just a few games. There is no way he is going to be able to perform with this type of injury, and if he does, it will only get worse. The only realistic solution is probably going to require surgery, and a long rehab process. This could mean no Brian Westbrook for most of the remaining season.

As shown tonight Westbrook is sorely missed on this team, and without him they are just not the same team.

Other players out include Brian Dawkins(neck), Lito Sheppard(knee), L.J. Smith(sports hernia), and Tra Thomas(knee). Sheldon Brown suffered a stinger in the first quarter.

The Eagles desperately need these guys back soon, because the team is not performing without them. You will not see this offense be explosive with Brian Westbrook wearing a tee shirt.

Does Plax Own Sheldon?:

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge Sheldon Brown fan. He is one of my favorite players, and I even have his jersey. There just seems to be a huge mismatch problem with Brown covering Plaxico Burress.

He has beaten Sheldon Brown for a Touchdown as least once in each of the past three seasons. I feel like Brown is one of the most fundamentally sound corners in the game, but Plaxico just seems to have his number. His size, and speed make him extremely difficult to defend. On many of the plays Brown even has pretty good coverage on Burress, but Burress, just uses his size to out jump Brown.

Brown also seemed to be getting picked on after he suffered an injury early in the game. He did not have one of his better games, but I know Sheldon will put in the work to improve.

Will James Is Horrible:

Will James is the worst corner back on the Eagles roster, and he is the worst current starter on the team.

James once again got torched deep, and this time he was penalized for blatantly taking Amani Toomer to the ground. The penalty lead to a Giants field goal, but more importantly it once again showed the NFL that James is a bum.

Every QB in the league will pick on number 21, when they see him lined up on the field.

The Eagles would be better off sticking a traffic cone on the field, because at least maybe the receiver would accidentally trip over it. With Will James there is no maybe, he is going to get beat every game.

Rest Of The D Was Solid:

The Eagles did a pretty good job for the most part on defense. Offensively the Giants only scored ten points, and only gave up the one TD to Plaxico.

There are some areas that could still be improved, like some missed tackles, more pressure on the QB, the ability to cover the short pass, and they could work on stopping the bootleg some in practice.

One time NFL sack leader Trent Cole, did not get any sacks, and I expected a big game from him. Juqua Thomas did very little, and Darren Howard was invisible except for a tipped pass.

The one lone sack came from Jevon Kearse of all people. Imagine that. Kearse actually made several nice plays, and that was good to see.

The defensive tackles had another very solid game, and the Eagles defense went another game without allowing a hundred yard rusher. Besides an offsides penalty, Mike Patterson played very well.

Omar Gaither got his second career interception off Eli Manning in the second quarter, and returned it 49 yards the other way. Great play for Omar, but I thought he should have scored on it. He looked really slow running with the football, and Manning was able to get an angle on Gaither, and force him out of bounds.

The defense shows a lot of promise, but there is still work to be done. Rod Hood is also sorely missed. That could be the biggest mistake the front office made this off season.

Not So Special Teams:

This has to be the worst special teams play of any team under Andy Reid. There is no aspect of special teams, that the Eagles excel at, and they can rarely even play a game without a barrage of mistakes.

"Sure handed" Reno Mahe fumbled on a punt return, J.R. Reed dropped the ball on a kick return, the always dependable David Akers missed a field goal, and almost every "decent" return had a stupid penalty.

Sav Rocca had a terrible game, and I am wondering what happened to this great leg? This guy was pinning teams deep in the pre-season, and was thought to be a weapon. Well now he is getting terrible distance, and hang time, and killed the Eagles field position all game.

Former Eagle Jeff Feagles completely outplayed Sav, and showed that he is one the best in the game. Feagles is the best in the game, at directional/pouch punting, and he pinned the Eagles deep twice on consecutive possessions.

The Eagles kick/punt coverage teams still sucked. I don't know if it is Rory Segrest, or the players, but this special teams this year just flat out suck.

At Least The Phillies Beat New York:

If the Phillies had blown the division title, that was handed to them on a silver platter by the Muts, there might be some people ready to jump off the Walt Whitman Bridge today.

You know it is really bad when the Phils are having more success than the Birds.

Props to the Fightins for managing to get through all that adversity, and still win the NL East.

It's been 14 years since the Phillies last made the playoffs, and there is a great buzz in the city about it.

Doom And Gloom:

What a disastrous start to a season filled with so much promise. The only reason I have even the slightest bit of hope, is because of what the 2003 Eagles team overcame. However is Brian Westbrook is required to go under the knife, then you can be sure that the season is over for sure. Westbrook is the teams most dangerous weapon, and without him this teams' offense is mediocre at best.

Andy Reid better have some miracles up his sleeve, or else it will be time to look at college mock drafts soon.

Eagles Face Giant Task

Donovan McNabb quieted critics with a spectacular performance in leading the Philadelphia Eagles to their first win of the season last week. He'll look to follow it up against a New York Giants defense that lifted the team to its first victory of 2007.

The NFC East archrivals meet Sunday night at Giants Stadium in a matchup of clubs looking to put rough starts behind them.

McNabb has been limited to 19 games the last two seasons, missing the final six games of 2006 with a torn ACL and sitting out the last seven contests in '05 due to a sports hernia. The five-time Pro Bowl quarterback struggled in his first two games this season after returning from surgery on the torn knee ligament, throwing for one touchdown and one interception while completing just 54.4 percent of his passes.

McNabb bounced back from the two sub-par performances in electrifying fashion, going 21-of-26 for 381 yards and four touchdowns Sunday to lead Philadelphia (1-2) to a 56-21 victory over Detroit. McNabb recorded the third-best passing yardage total of his career and his most since Dec. 5, 2004 against Green Bay, when he threw for a career-high 464 yards.

"When you're a great quarterback, you're going to have days where things aren't working," coach Andy Reid said. "He knows that. He knows that if he keeps firing, good things will happen."

McNabb was also dogged last week by questions about his comments in an interview that black NFL quarterbacks face greater scrutiny than their white counterparts - inquiries that had him defensive and led to him walking off the podium during a media session Wednesday.

"That wasn't part of my mind-set," McNabb said of his tumultuous week. "With everything that happened, we still have to play football."

A healthy and focused McNabb has the Eagles optimistic they can move beyond their 0-2 start and compete for the division title. Philadelphia, though, may have to overcome a key injury this week, as top running back Brian Westbrook is day to day with an abdominal sprain.

Westbrook, however, sat out all but one of last week's practices with a knee injury and turned in an outstanding all-around effort against the Lions, rushing for 110 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries, and making five catches for 111 yards and a TD.

"Right now he's pretty sore," Reid said Wednesday.

The Giants (1-2) are also dealing with injury concerns. Receiver Plaxico Burress, who missed two practices last week because of an ankle problem, left the team Wednesday to visit noted orthopedist Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, N.C.

Burress had five catches for 86 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in New York's 24-17 win over Washington on Sunday. With five TD receptions, he's tied with New England's Randy Moss for the league lead.

"Hopefully (there will be) some further recommendation as to what can be done to relieve the issue," coach Tom Coughlin said. "Plaxico actually the other day said to us that he has to practice. He has got to practice. He is not practicing and he is coming into the games. To his credit he knows his assignments, but obviously he is not as sharp as he could be."

Burress' right ankle has been bothering him since he injured it in training camp, but his teammates aren't too concerned about him being ready Sunday.

"Plax, we call him 'Game Day,'" middle linebacker Antonio Pierce said. "On game day he shows up regardless of what anyone wants to say about him during the week. The guy has been in the league long enough, eight years, and he knows how to take care of himself."

The Giants badly want Burress on the field Sunday, but they may be able to rely on a resurgent defense that preserved the badly needed victory over the Redskins.

New York gave up 80 points and more than 600 yards in losing its first two games, but shut out Washington and allowed only 81 total yards in the second half in rallying from a 17-3 deficit at the break.

The Giants capped the effort by stopping the Redskins after Washington had first-and-goal at the 1 with 58 seconds left.

"Just the jubilation you feel when you're running off the field after making a big stop like that, in the division, on the road," defensive tackle Barry Cofield said. "I'll never forget it."

Cofield and the defense will look to carry over the effort against another division foe as the Giants hope to get a strong effort on both sides of the ball. Eli Manning threw for 232 yards against Washington, although he had two interceptions and one touchdown. The TD, however, came on a 33-yard pass to Burress that proved to be the winning score with 2:01 left.

Derrick Ward ran for 94 yards on 26 carries and had six catches for 26 yards, while Reuben Droughns scored on a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs - the Giants' first rushing TDs of the season.

The Eagles and Giants split last year's two meetings, with each team winning on the road.

>>FoxSports

Biggest thing to look for in this game, is the running game for both teams. Pain in the rear Tiki Barber is no longer an issue, but will Derrick Ward be a new problem?

Then there is Westbrook's injury. How bad is it? If he is limited, or misses the game, It would obviously be a huge blow to the Eagles offense.

Eagles Tame Lions

Birds Route Detroit 56-21

Eagles bounce back in a big way. With their backs against the wall, wearing the ugliest jerseys ever, the Eagles offense came to life. Except for a few bad play from Will James, and the Matador tackler, the Eagles defense was pretty solid.

McNabb Was Awesome:

A good mix of run, and pass was one reason the offense flourished, but the biggest key was that Donovan McNabb was outstanding. I really believe that taking the knee brace off, is the difference between the McNabb of last week, and the McNabb that threw for four TDs today. He was able to get full use of his knee, that gave him much better footwork, and resulted in very accurate passes. Donovan also seemed much quicker without the brace, and more like his old self. If he continues to play like this in coming weeks, everybody might forget that he even had a knee injury.

Donovan took a lot of heat this past week from fans, and the media nation wide. I think a lot of people are just impatient, and need to really shut up when it comes to Donovan McNabb. He is the best QB in Eagles franchise history, so cheer, and enjoy him while you can.

The Ultimate Weapon:

Brian Westbrook shows once again that he is such a big time play maker, as he gets 110 yards rushing, 111 yards receiving, and 3 touchdowns. The offensive line gets a lot of credit, for paving the way for Brian, but once he got in the open field, he shows why he is one of the best players in the NFL. Eluding tackles, and bowling through others, Brian just always seems to make guys miss tackles. I know this is the Detroit Lions defense, but he does this to every team.

Westbrook was snubbed from the Pro Bowl last year, but maybe this year he can get in.

Hat Trick:

That's right, three touchdowns for WR Kevin Curtis. Curtis had the biggest day of any Eagles receiver since TO. His biggest catch, was the first touchdown of the game where he put a great double move on the corner, and beat him for a 68 yard bomb.

That play started everything off, and the offense just opened up, as Curtis finished the game with 11 catches for 221 yards.

A lot of people ripped the signing of Kevin Curtis, and cried about the departure of Donte Stallworth. Well now I wonder how they feel about this move. Curtis just exploded today, and Stallworth has not done much in New England.

Sack Attack:

The Eagles brought heavy pressure on QB Jon Kitna, and surprisingly a lot of it came without blitzing. Trent Cole lead the way with a huge day, getting three sacks, and forcing a fumble. Cole is having a great season, and continues to get to the QB.

Jevon Kearse has done nothing over the last two games, but his backup Juqua Thomas had 2 sacks, and a forced fumble. Juqua has been a great pickup, and he also continues to get a ton of pressure on the QB.

Brodrick Bunkley had 2 sacks as well, and Quintin Mikell had a nice sack on a blitz. Mikell did an excellent job filling in for the injured Brian Dawkins, and he again proves how valuable he is to this team.

Sean Considine had a great interception, tip toeing in the back of the end zone, right before halftime. Great to see Sean make a big play.

Will James sucked again. He repeatedly got picked on, and exposed as a slow almost useless player to even have on the team. Shaun McDonald blew past him on the quick slant that lead to the Lions first TD. James also let Roy Williams catch the ball, and never even layed a finger on him, as he just kept on running to the end zone.

Joselio Hanson also had a shot at Williams, but of course he was unable to make the tackle. Hanson also dropped what should have been a interception for six the other way.

I am not sure which is worse, a corner who can't run, or a corner that can't tackle. I guess at this point, they should just bump Hanson up, because while James is like a traffic cone out there. Please get well soon Lito.

Jerseys Are Still Ugly:

There are a lot of superstitious people in the world, who think a teams jersey color could change the outcome of the game. For example, many people think the Eagles alternate black jersey is bad luck. Well I don't care that the Eagles blew out the Lions in these hideous rags.

I never want to see the Eagles wear this Jersey again!

The only people that the jersey looks good on is the Cheerleaders.

Are the Eagles really going to lose to the Lions?

Backs against the wall:

The Eagles are trying to avoid their first 0-3 start, since 1999. The team they face is the Detroit Lions. Usually that would be great news for a struggling team, but this may not be your typical woeful Lions team.

In 2003 the Eagles started 0-2, and were able to amazingly finish the year 12-4. Can this team duplicate that same magical run? Not likely if McNabb continues to struggle. He needs to forget the past two weeks, and step it up this week. The season is on the line. An 0-3 hole is too big to climb out of.

Not the same ole Lions:

This Lions team is 2-0, and is loaded with offensive talent. Especially at the WR position. Roy Williams is one of the leagues elite, and Calvin Johnson is quickly proving he belongs among that group too. Former Rams receiver Shaun McDonald is also a threat that has to be accounted for. Not having Lito Sheppard causes huge mismatch problems, as the Eagles will now have to rely on Will James, and Joselio Hanson much more than they should.

The Lions do not particulary run the ball well, but they do have a good group of backs. Tatum Bell has explosive speed, and TJ Duckett is a load between the tackles. If the Lions can sustain any kind of running attack, they will probably have the Eagles defense on their heels.

Starting QB Jon Kitna made a bold prediction in the pre-season, that the Lions would win ten games this year, and so far it is looking good. He is a solid veteran, and is a very tough guy. He left last weeks game against the Vikings with a concussion, but was able to return in the next quarter to lead his team to victory. He has a strong arm, and is very capable of hitting those big time receivers deep for big plays.

This offense will be a huge test for the Birds, and one I do not feel very confient that they will do well against.
Defensively the Lions are pretty average. However, Shaun Rogers, and Cory Redding are one of the best DT tandems in the league. Second year linebacker Ernie Sims is a tackling machine. DE Dewayne White is an undersized speed end, similar to Trent Cole. He was a very underrated pickup in this offseason, and he has made a bunch of plays for Detroit already. Linebacker Boss Bailey has not done much in his career, but after two games in 2007, he already has two sacks.

The Lions secondary no longer has Dre Bly, and Terrance Holt, but has played pretty well so far. If there was any group that the Eagles should attack, it is this one. People have been ripping the receivers a lot, and if they can't get open agains Detroit, the Eagles are in serious trouble.

McNabb takes off the brace:

McNabb practices without brace
Bob Kent, of PhiladelphiaEagles.com, reports Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb (knee) participated in practice without a brace on his surgically repaired right knee Friday, Sept. 21.

>>KFFL

Maybe it is the knee brace, that is disrupting Donovan's footwork. If he can confidently play without it, I think you may see his accuracy dramatically improve. Keep an eye out early, to see if he is wearing it or not.

Time to run the ball Andy:

Enough of this 75% pass happy offense. To help McNabb out, and the offense out, the Eagles must run the ball much more. When they do hand off to Westbrook, he makes good things happen. This issue has been hammered in the media time, and time again, and now everybody should just pray that Andy will get the message. Run the ball Andy!

Ugly UCLA Jerseys:

These are probably the ugliest football jerseys i have ever seen. The design, color scheme, and helmet, are all terrible. Any other Eagles throwback jersey would have been a better choice. I personally would have liked to see the Kelly green. If the Eagles lose, I am partially blaming the ugly jerseys.

Brown defends wide receivers

Reggie Brown has one word for all those who claim the Eagles wide receivers never got open Monday against Washington.

"Hogwash," he said Thursday.

"Do these quote-unquote experts actually watch the game, or are they just looking at the quarterback?" the third-year wide receiver said. "Most of the time when you see a game, you can't even see the receivers."

Brown has been conspicuous in his absence from the Eagles' play-to-play offense so far in two games, both defeats in which the offense underperformed.

He has a total of three catches for 41 yards so far, but late in the 20-12 loss to the Redskins, there were some rays of hope. Brown made a tough 19-yard fourth-down catch to keep alive a Philadelphia drive.

On Wednesday, head coach Andy Reid pointed to that drive as a sign that the Eagles offense might be emerging from the fog that has cost them two games.

Brown agreed.

"I think we started playing with a little bit more energy," he said of the fourth quarter. "Everybody focused in and we feel like we had to do it.

"It didn't feel like a sense of panic in the huddle. It felt like a feeling of confidence and unity and a sense of responsibility that we needed to go down and do this.

"Not panic."

Brown was a significant part of the Eagles' big-play potential in 2006, a potential that has not yet been realized this season.

Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said that Philadelphia's inability to hit on plays downfield has partly been a function of the defenses they have faced, which have sought to cut that aspect off.

Brown said that because the offensive timing has been off, the Eagles haven't been unable to hit on the shorter routes enough to draw defenses out of their prevent modes.

>>CourierPostOnline

Donovan Stands By Comments

Eagles Lose Again. Mass Hysteria Ensues

Time to press the panic button?

I know many fans already have, and I can't blame them. The Eagles are 0-2, and this was supposed to be the "easy" part of the schedule. Last week the offensive woes were overlooked because of the two muffed punts. This week it was painfully clear that the offense has major problems, and the entire nation saw it.

Donovan is not Super Five anymore:

As the offense puttered down the field, like an 85 Buick with a bad transmission, It was painfully obvious that there is something majorly wrong with Donovan McNabb. He is very inaccurate with his throws, and as he admitted himself, the "explosion" is not there when he runs. McNabb sailed a few high, had a few behind, a few too far in front, and even mixed in a few worm burners. Some blame the receivers, but I am not buying it. Last year the Eagles offense was explosive with the same receivers minus Kevin Curtis. The receivers are not the problem, it is Donovan. Poor footwork seems to be the reason he can't make these throws, and that is a result of the bad knee. If this is the case, then you will not see the Donovan of old, for at least another full year. The problem with that is, this season could be a wash, and I don't think Eagles fans are willing to be that patient. If you listen to talk radio, people are already starting the "get him outta here" talk.

Playcalling:

All the talk of the Eagles being more dedicated to the run seems to be just talk. They started off the Greenbay with a balanced attack, and then in the second half, they completely got away from running the ball. that carried over into last night, as the Eagles called 51 passing plays, and only 18 run plays. That is a 73-27 pass/run ratio. That is completely mind boggling how bad that is. When Ron Jaworski said the Eagles are a great play action pass team, I laughed. How can any team respect the Birds play action? I also wonder if Andy Reid has been calling the plays again. This game has his finger prints all over it, and I am willing to bet he would be stubborn enough to take back the play calling. You need to have balance in the NFL to win, and I doubt that Reid will ever get it at this point.

Defense Misses Lito:

Will James is terrible. I don't care that he got an interception, on a bad pass by Jason Campbell, Will James was getting killed all game. He does not have the ability to stay with speed receivers. The Redskins picked on him all game long, and for the most part they abused Will James. In the 4th quarter, the Redskins took a shot downfield, and Santana Moss put a move on James that left him in the dust. James was 8 yards behind Moss, and lucked out when Campbell overthrew everybody. I am really missing Rod Hood a lot right now, and so are the Eagles.

Then there is this stiff Joselio Hanson. After the Redskins had 3 penalties in a row, near the end of the first half, how do you let Chris Cooley get behind you? To cover James thrash of all people? The Eagles all week long focused on defending Chirs Cooley, and Hanson blew it at a crucial time. I would also like to point out, that Hanson tackles like a girl. He waits for guys to come to him, and then tackles their legs from behind. As a defensive player, you need to attack the ball carrier. Fly to the football, wrap up, and drive your body through the offesnive player. From now on Joselio is going to be known as the Matador tackler.

He is not the only one who missed tackles though. Sheldon Brown, Sean Considine, and even Brian Dawkins missed tackles. This is something that drives me absoloutely crazy. The Eagles used to be a great tackling team back in 2002, and each year, it seems to get worse. Now it is to the point where you expect at least 4 or 5 missed tackles a game.

The defense overall did a lot of things well, but there are still some issues there. Brodrick Bunkley, Juqua Thomas, Omar Gaither, Mike Patterson, and Takeo Spikes all played very well. I just think after seeing how bad Will James looked, that teams are going to continue to exploit him all season long, and that could kill them.

Reno Returns:

Reno Mahe is back, and got a standing ovation when he went on the field for the first time. Very ironic that the same people who wanted him gone so badly, are now delighted to see him back. As expected Reno did not break anything big, but he made no mistakes. He also was sporting a new number(25), because his old number(34) was taken by practice squad FB Jason Davis.

More Injuries:

Free safety Brian Dawkins and running back Brian Westbrook are among four starters hurting a day after Monday night's loss to Washington, but head coach Andy Reid doesn't believe the injuries are serious enough to keep them out for Sunday's home game against Detroit.

Dawkins sustained a neck stinger as a result of a hit he put on Redskins tight end Todd Yoder in the fourth quarter. The Pro Bowl free safety was down for some time before being helped up and led down the tunnel. Dawkins underwent an MRI on Tuesday and Reid said "he'll be alright as the week goes on here."

Westbrook, who has 51 touches in the first two games, suffered a knee strain.

"He twisted his knee a little bit," Reid said of his prized running back.

Westbrook had 96 rushing yards and 66 receiving to lead the Eagles in both categories Monday night and the head coach believes as far as workload goes Westbrook is "right about where he needs to be."Meanwhile, L.J. Smith continues to fight a nagging groin strain that has hampered the tight end since training camp. The injury has certainly limited his productivity as evidenced by Smith's numbers through two games -- 26 yards on four receptions.

"He'll just keep working through this thing," Reid said.

Up front, left tackle William Thomas exited the game with back spasms, a condition he's battled on and off for the last five years."I think that's one thing we'll have to deal with," Reid said. "We dealt with it before."Back spasms cost Thomas one game back in 2003, but overall he has been a steady presence as Donovan McNabb's blindside bodyguard. Thomas has started 136 of 137 career games.

Second-year man Winston Justice replaced Thomas and "did a nice job," according to Reid.

Justice could get some extra work with the first-team offense this week as coaches may look to get Thomas some rest.

Back on defense, Pro Bowl cornerback Lito Sheppard is reportedly getting better with an MCL sprain he suffered in the season opener. Will James started in place of Sheppard on Monday night and James responded with his first interception as an Eagle.

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Can this season be salvaged?:

Is is possible to come back from 0-2, and make the playoffs? Yes it is. In fact the 2003 Eagles finished the season 12-4 after an 0-2 start, and went to the NFCCG. I don't think that this team is capable of doing the same thing, and the reason is obvious.

McNabb is not the same. With this knee hindering Donovan's throws, he may play poorly all season. Now that A.J. Feeley has a broken hand, the only other option right now is rookie Kevin Kolb. If you go to Kolb, you would really just be throwing in the towel. I think this team can play much better, but after what I have seen the past two games, they are clearly not a contender. even if Andy Reid shifted this offense to be more run oriented, they still would have problems with McNabb's erratic passes. It's going to take a miracle for things to turn around again like they did in 2003.