Much coverage has been given to the Saints surprising turnaround season this year and how inspiring that must be to the hurricane ravaged city of New Orleans. That's all well and good... I can't imagine too many new homes have been built by football, but certainly during the regular season it did some good. If nothing else keeping people focused on the problems that still exist despite Brownie's "great job" should be considered a positive. Yesterday, however, I saw the downside of the Saints' Bandwagon.
I went to watch the Eagles v. Saints game at a bar in Arlington with some friends. My first mistake was going out to Arlington. It's really never a good idea. But a lot of my friends were serious Eagles fans and the bar always had a lot of Eagles supporters.
Last night however was very different. When I showed up I was shocked by the number of Saints jerseys in the bar. While in the line, I had to listen to a really stupid girl talk about how she just bought a jersey for "that Brees guy who's really cute" but she didn't want to wear it because it still had the tag on. It only got worse from there. One guy I saw there was cheering and cheering for the Saints and talking shit on Eagles fans while wearing a LA Dodgers hat. Very few of the fans knew a damn thing about the Saints and seemed to think their "miracle" season was entirely caused by Reggie Bush.
I'm certainly not an Eagles fan but I really started to want them to win just to spite all the bandwagon Saints fans. The Eagles had an inspiring story, led by a backup quarterback, they won week after week to win their division against all odds and then win their first playoff game. Yeah, Philadelphia wasn't destroyed by a hurricane, but its football not an application for reconstruction money.
Finally, as I was walking out of the bar, I thought of the final indictment against the bandwagon Saints fans. I can't imagine any of them have given money to the Katrina Relief Fund. Certainly not as much money as they spent on their new Saints jerseys. The real Saints bandwagon should be giving money to help New Orleans get back on their feet and stop the tragically high crime levels. The Saints are a good story, but another win isn't going to help anything.
Showing posts with label Eagles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eagles. Show all posts
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Divisional Playoff Preview: Eagles at Saints
With so much Eagles playoff hype right now, I started sifting through some Super Bowl articles written by The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Philadelphia Daily News. I found an interesting piece written by Sam Donnellon of the Daily News. The title was “We’re Bitter, with Good Reason,” explaining the excruciating pain of being a Philadelphia sports fan season after season to the general public not residing anywhere near Pennsylvania’s most populated city. This paragraph sums up the article quite well: “Try being from Philadelphia. Try fending off the snobs from New York and the bureaucrats from Washington who treat your city the birthplace of our country, like a rest stop. Try waiting for your time to come year after year after year, as your children are born, grow up, and move on to separate lives.”
Now I am bitter with a good reason. It is now the Philadelphia Eagles vs. America’s team, the New Orleans Saints. It does not bother me at all that the public and the greater media is riding the epic story of this team that has risen like a phoenix from the ashes in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The turn-around from worst-to-first certainly is a wonderful story because it gives the New Orleans a reason for hope. The team’s success is the community’s success, and I couldn’t be happier for them. Katrina was one of the worst disasters in American history and destroyed the normal lives of so many people that I am glad they are getting so much support all over the country.
What irks me is the bias of the sports experts. By no means do I want to take away from the success of this team, but it seems like no one is giving the Eagles a chance. Everywhere I look, the pick is the Saints. Late Sunday night, Sean Salisbury, Mr. I-Show-A-Picture-of-my-Penis-to-Women-at-the-Workplace, takes the Saints because the Eagles are beaten up after the Giants game. On Sportscenter the following night, Boomer Esiason predicted the Saints would win as well because the Eagles were limping into the game. Dr. Z of SportsIllustrated.com backed the same point. And the Z man’s colleagues have given a unanimous vote in favor of the Saints over Eagles.
In fact, I have been hard-pressed to find anyone, outside of the Philadelphia area, who has picked the Eagles to win this game. A computer on sportsline.com called Harmon was the only thing out of all the listed experts to call for the Eagles upset. And the only other person I happened to stumble upon was a senior analyst on NFL.com.
So what are the reasons for the Saints to win? They boast the number one offense in the league. They are coming off the franchise's first ever bye week, and the Eagles are hurting, even limping into this game. They have so many weapons on offense that this Eagles defense can not shut down one player without another stepping up. All of these are very viable reasons to go with America's team. If this weren't the Eagles playing them, I would be pulling for the Saints as well.
But I must say, these experts have pushed this sports decision to the extreme with such an undisputed decision to write off the Eagles. Philadelphia can win this game. The experts back the Saints with their impressive offense, but the Eagles have the number two overall offense in the rest of the league. Remember that this was done without Donovan McNabb for the latter part of the season as Jeff Garcia took over under center.
While the Saints have been resting for this upcoming game thanks to a bye week as the number two seed, the Eagles have come off a resounding, yet apparently harsh victory. Pro-Bowl Lito Sheppard was injured with a dislocated elbow and cannot play on Saturday night. This is the only injury that is serious for the Eagles, with the exception of the knee problem of fullback Thomas Tapeh. No one on this Eagles team is injured otherwise. This is perhaps the healthiest team that the Eagles have had in the playoffs in some time. And don't worry about Brian Westbrook--he's over his stomach virus.
The Saints have too many weapons, but so do the Eagles. The wide receivers and tight ends are emerging as a serious threat in multiple ways. Not only can these players catch, but they can block as well, as evidenced by Westbrook's 49-yard touchdown run. The receivers and tight ends did an exceptional job of blocking downfield after the offensive line sprung the running back loose. In addition, Donte Stallworth and Reggie Brown are not push-overs in the passing game. Stallworth caught a touchdown last week as Brown led all receivers with 7 receptions for 73 yards.
And then there is the offensive line and Brian Westbrook, who is starting to make a name for himself as a feature back. He was the proto-Reggie Bush player as he has been lined up as both a running back and wide receiver throughout his career. Correll Buckhalter, the back-up running back, gives the team a short-yardage back that is bigger than Westbrook. The Eagles have been known to line them both up in the backfield, giving defenses a nightmare of a situation as to who to cover or what playcall will be. So the Saints' defense should be trembling as well.
In my head, these teams are evenly matched, but the Saints have the advantage of home-field and a crowd that will be down-right out of their minds. I would say this is a problem except this Eagles team went to three straight divisional opponents stadiums and came out victorious. They have also been down to New Orleans earlier this season so they know what to expect from the crowd. This team is confident and cool at crunch time as evidenced by the win over the Giants last week.
It should also be emphasized that this is not the same team that visited the Big Easy earlier in the season. The offensive play-calling will be more balanced and less focused on the big play. Joe Horn, if he plays, and the other Saints receivers may not be slipping by the secondary as easily with Michael Lewis being used mainly as a line-backer. The defense has been forcing turnovers that have been at critical times and have resulted in points. And finally, the Eagles have been on a roll, winning 6 games in a row by large margins and small, regardless of where they were playing.
For these reasons, the Eagles will win down in New Orleans. Jeff Garcia will run a mistake-free offense again and put the ball in the hands of the Ultimate Weapon, Brian Westbrook, early and often to keep the Saints offense off the field. The defense should force a key turnover or two as they did last time, and that was without the game tapes of the Saints' losses to Baltimore and Washington, which should provide defensive co-ordinator Jim Johnson with a scheme to confuse this offense that uses three-step drops to avoid blitz pressure. This Saints team is vulnerable when they commit turnovers. And that will be the difference in the game for the Eagles as they soar to another NFC Championship Game.
Prediction:
Eagles 34 Saints 24
Bonus Reason:
If you don't believe my analysis, at least take a look at Bill Simmons and his guide to deciding on which team to take in a playoff game. I realize it pertains to gambling, but most of the these rules directly apply to the Eagles if you take them into consideration. So if you don't believe me, at least believe the Sport Guy.
Now I am bitter with a good reason. It is now the Philadelphia Eagles vs. America’s team, the New Orleans Saints. It does not bother me at all that the public and the greater media is riding the epic story of this team that has risen like a phoenix from the ashes in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The turn-around from worst-to-first certainly is a wonderful story because it gives the New Orleans a reason for hope. The team’s success is the community’s success, and I couldn’t be happier for them. Katrina was one of the worst disasters in American history and destroyed the normal lives of so many people that I am glad they are getting so much support all over the country.
What irks me is the bias of the sports experts. By no means do I want to take away from the success of this team, but it seems like no one is giving the Eagles a chance. Everywhere I look, the pick is the Saints. Late Sunday night, Sean Salisbury, Mr. I-Show-A-Picture-of-my-Penis-to-Women-at-the-Workplace, takes the Saints because the Eagles are beaten up after the Giants game. On Sportscenter the following night, Boomer Esiason predicted the Saints would win as well because the Eagles were limping into the game. Dr. Z of SportsIllustrated.com backed the same point. And the Z man’s colleagues have given a unanimous vote in favor of the Saints over Eagles.
In fact, I have been hard-pressed to find anyone, outside of the Philadelphia area, who has picked the Eagles to win this game. A computer on sportsline.com called Harmon was the only thing out of all the listed experts to call for the Eagles upset. And the only other person I happened to stumble upon was a senior analyst on NFL.com.
So what are the reasons for the Saints to win? They boast the number one offense in the league. They are coming off the franchise's first ever bye week, and the Eagles are hurting, even limping into this game. They have so many weapons on offense that this Eagles defense can not shut down one player without another stepping up. All of these are very viable reasons to go with America's team. If this weren't the Eagles playing them, I would be pulling for the Saints as well.
But I must say, these experts have pushed this sports decision to the extreme with such an undisputed decision to write off the Eagles. Philadelphia can win this game. The experts back the Saints with their impressive offense, but the Eagles have the number two overall offense in the rest of the league. Remember that this was done without Donovan McNabb for the latter part of the season as Jeff Garcia took over under center.
While the Saints have been resting for this upcoming game thanks to a bye week as the number two seed, the Eagles have come off a resounding, yet apparently harsh victory. Pro-Bowl Lito Sheppard was injured with a dislocated elbow and cannot play on Saturday night. This is the only injury that is serious for the Eagles, with the exception of the knee problem of fullback Thomas Tapeh. No one on this Eagles team is injured otherwise. This is perhaps the healthiest team that the Eagles have had in the playoffs in some time. And don't worry about Brian Westbrook--he's over his stomach virus.
The Saints have too many weapons, but so do the Eagles. The wide receivers and tight ends are emerging as a serious threat in multiple ways. Not only can these players catch, but they can block as well, as evidenced by Westbrook's 49-yard touchdown run. The receivers and tight ends did an exceptional job of blocking downfield after the offensive line sprung the running back loose. In addition, Donte Stallworth and Reggie Brown are not push-overs in the passing game. Stallworth caught a touchdown last week as Brown led all receivers with 7 receptions for 73 yards.
And then there is the offensive line and Brian Westbrook, who is starting to make a name for himself as a feature back. He was the proto-Reggie Bush player as he has been lined up as both a running back and wide receiver throughout his career. Correll Buckhalter, the back-up running back, gives the team a short-yardage back that is bigger than Westbrook. The Eagles have been known to line them both up in the backfield, giving defenses a nightmare of a situation as to who to cover or what playcall will be. So the Saints' defense should be trembling as well.
In my head, these teams are evenly matched, but the Saints have the advantage of home-field and a crowd that will be down-right out of their minds. I would say this is a problem except this Eagles team went to three straight divisional opponents stadiums and came out victorious. They have also been down to New Orleans earlier this season so they know what to expect from the crowd. This team is confident and cool at crunch time as evidenced by the win over the Giants last week.
It should also be emphasized that this is not the same team that visited the Big Easy earlier in the season. The offensive play-calling will be more balanced and less focused on the big play. Joe Horn, if he plays, and the other Saints receivers may not be slipping by the secondary as easily with Michael Lewis being used mainly as a line-backer. The defense has been forcing turnovers that have been at critical times and have resulted in points. And finally, the Eagles have been on a roll, winning 6 games in a row by large margins and small, regardless of where they were playing.
For these reasons, the Eagles will win down in New Orleans. Jeff Garcia will run a mistake-free offense again and put the ball in the hands of the Ultimate Weapon, Brian Westbrook, early and often to keep the Saints offense off the field. The defense should force a key turnover or two as they did last time, and that was without the game tapes of the Saints' losses to Baltimore and Washington, which should provide defensive co-ordinator Jim Johnson with a scheme to confuse this offense that uses three-step drops to avoid blitz pressure. This Saints team is vulnerable when they commit turnovers. And that will be the difference in the game for the Eagles as they soar to another NFC Championship Game.
Prediction:
Eagles 34 Saints 24
Bonus Reason:
If you don't believe my analysis, at least take a look at Bill Simmons and his guide to deciding on which team to take in a playoff game. I realize it pertains to gambling, but most of the these rules directly apply to the Eagles if you take them into consideration. So if you don't believe me, at least believe the Sport Guy.
The Game is Coming
In preparation for the Eagles game this Saturday evening vs. the New Orleans saints, here's a couple interesting articles from the Inquirer about the tough position of the Eagles as a team, and also injured QB McNabb.
McNabb can't win
Reality test for Cinderella Saints
McNabb can't win
Reality test for Cinderella Saints
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Post-Game Analysis: Eagles vs. Giants
What I Liked
Brian Westbrook: The little guy that no one said could be a feature back is having a career season in terms of rushing. Along with his spectacular stumblin' and bumblin' 49 yard touchdown run, he picked up yardage when it mattered most: at the end of the game. And this was all done with stomach cramps. Sure, he didn't make the Pro Bowl, and yet the three running backs who did are all sitting at home watching the playoffs. He is synonymous with the word "under-rated" at the moment, but the deeper he takes this team in the playoffs, the more respect Westbrook will receive. And make no mistake, his performance this coming Saturday night will determine if the Eagles advance to the next round.
The balance: No longer is the huck n' chuck playbook in use. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg kept things balanced with 31 pass plays and 31 runnings plays. By keeping the Giants defense off-balance, the Eagles were able to march down the field seemingly at will when the offense was clicking. The most important drive was the last one, and the Eagles did not lean on the pass. They placed it Westbrook's hands when it mattered most. If we were still in the pass-happy offense, I feel as if we would have gone 3-and-out on the series following the Giants game-tying touchdown. Not so any more.
The defense: It was too erratic this week for whatever reason that may be. At times, they seemed to have Tiki Barber's number, but then the next play, he would break off on a 15-yard scamper. There was also no excuse to let the Giants offense march downfield for the game-tying score. The defense had them at 1st down and 30 and permitted them to convert.
Brian Westbrook: The little guy that no one said could be a feature back is having a career season in terms of rushing. Along with his spectacular stumblin' and bumblin' 49 yard touchdown run, he picked up yardage when it mattered most: at the end of the game. And this was all done with stomach cramps. Sure, he didn't make the Pro Bowl, and yet the three running backs who did are all sitting at home watching the playoffs. He is synonymous with the word "under-rated" at the moment, but the deeper he takes this team in the playoffs, the more respect Westbrook will receive. And make no mistake, his performance this coming Saturday night will determine if the Eagles advance to the next round. 
The balance: No longer is the huck n' chuck playbook in use. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg kept things balanced with 31 pass plays and 31 runnings plays. By keeping the Giants defense off-balance, the Eagles were able to march down the field seemingly at will when the offense was clicking. The most important drive was the last one, and the Eagles did not lean on the pass. They placed it Westbrook's hands when it mattered most. If we were still in the pass-happy offense, I feel as if we would have gone 3-and-out on the series following the Giants game-tying touchdown. Not so any more.The final drive: The Eagles have improved in their ability to chew up clock thanks to the use of the running game. They were able to take all expect 3 seconds off the clock before setting up the game-winning field goal. It shows the team has confidence when it is crunch time.
What I Didn't Like
The defense: It was too erratic this week for whatever reason that may be. At times, they seemed to have Tiki Barber's number, but then the next play, he would break off on a 15-yard scamper. There was also no excuse to let the Giants offense march downfield for the game-tying score. The defense had them at 1st down and 30 and permitted them to convert.The slow-start: I can't pinpoint whether the Eagles offense was rusty from having sat out last week or the fact that they were backed against their own endzone. Reid pointed out that Garcia was a little off intitially, and that lack of effiecincy could have cost the Eagles points if the Giants had been able to convert from mid-field. Garcia also came too close to throwing an early interception.
Monday, January 8, 2007
Dawkins Soars!
Joe Buck may not appreciate the heart Brian Dawkins plays with, but everyone else in Philadelphia does. This sums up the game for me, although an X-ray video that would show the inside of Brian Westbrook's stomach during the final drive of the game would certainly be a close second. Post-game analysis of the Giants game and pre-game analysis against the Saints will be forth-coming this week.
Sunday, January 7, 2007
Almost Game-Time
Alright, Tony Romo's hands for Jeremy Shockey's, straight up. Or, we'll trade Pat Burrell for LaDainian Tomlinson. Straight up. Today's game is the kind of game where you really have to be nervous if you're an Eagles fan. This is the one we love to blow. After going into the Meadowlands and out to Dallas as underdogs, we're finally favored...sort of. Because everyone knows these are the games Philadelphia teams love to blow. So that's a pretty big consideration. The last time the Eagles were in the post-season was not long ago, but then, Philadelphians were still fans of T.O. at that point, so a lot has changed. I am expecting our QB to avoid throwing up in the huddle, I am expecting one Brian Dawkins to throw the BPAS into play with huge success, and I am hoping Eli throws just as many interceptions as his big brother did yesterday. And, like a good Philadelphia sports fan, I will scream and rant and hate on everything and everyone if we don't win. And then I will sink into a long, glazed-over depression until baseball season. Go Eagles.
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Sign of the Apocalypse: Sex for Tickets
A young couple in grad school has agreed to let a complete stranger not only watch them have sex, but call the shots during coitus. In exchange for this act which puts all porn videos to shame, the couple insists the price be two playoff tickets to this Sundays Eagles game against the Giants. So one has to consider, if the Eagles continue to advance in the playoffs, will this couple continue to push their sexual prowess to the extreme by doing a three-way in front of an audience? Or if this trend catches on and the Eagles make it to the Super Bowl, will there be a sexual, yet perverted, renaissance a la the late 1960s that would have Eagles couples all over the Eastern part of the state havinng sex in front of people for 50-yard seats?
Our shame knows no bounds.
Our shame knows no bounds.
Friday, January 5, 2007
Giants Fans have Giant Mouths
While the New York media had a way of twisting Trent Cole's words into bulletin board material, Giants fans are on a crusade to do the same with something that Brian Dawkins' uttered a few days ago: "Domination is on our mind."
The initial blogger's comments make no sense what so ever so much so that he provided the law of averages as the basis for predicting a Giants victory. I could just as easily say that because the Saints beat the Eagles earlier in the season and the Eagles beat the Giants later in the season, then, by the law of transitivity, the Saints should beat the Giants. The onyl problem with this theory is that we come to an impasse when this law is applied to the Redskins. Didn't both teams beat them this season?....See it's pointless!
I plead with the Giants fans to either to learn to trash talk, ignore Philly's trash talk (because we always hype up our playoff teams regardless of how good they are), or back your predictions up with at least football commons sense. So what if B-Dawk said something like that? I recall Plax predicting he was going to have a field day with our secondary--that didn't happen. This just makes for a better football game on Sunday.
The initial blogger's comments make no sense what so ever so much so that he provided the law of averages as the basis for predicting a Giants victory. I could just as easily say that because the Saints beat the Eagles earlier in the season and the Eagles beat the Giants later in the season, then, by the law of transitivity, the Saints should beat the Giants. The onyl problem with this theory is that we come to an impasse when this law is applied to the Redskins. Didn't both teams beat them this season?....See it's pointless!
I plead with the Giants fans to either to learn to trash talk, ignore Philly's trash talk (because we always hype up our playoff teams regardless of how good they are), or back your predictions up with at least football commons sense. So what if B-Dawk said something like that? I recall Plax predicting he was going to have a field day with our secondary--that didn't happen. This just makes for a better football game on Sunday.
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Billboard Material Already
The Eagles-Giants matchup during the regular season is one that is characterized as a vicious dogfight. Now, with these two teams playing to advance in the NFL wild card round, tensions are even higher, so much so that the Giants are already talking trash and firing back at Trent Cole for criticizing Eli Manning.The closing quote by Kareem McKenzie in the Manning article is priceless--he tries to justify Eli's record as a quaterback this season as the means of them getting into the playoffs when, in reality, he was almost the reason that the Giants missed them. Case in point, the entire offensive play-calling in the Giants win over the stumbling Redskins relied soley on Tiki Barber putting up a career day...and they still almost lost!
If it weren't for the fact that the NFC has been deficient in playoff-caliber teams these past few years, with this past season being the prime example, they would have had no shot of getting in period. No team with an 8-8 record got into the playoffs in AFC. This Giants team sputters on passing downs, despite having viable weapons of Plaxico Burress, Jeremy Shocker, and Barber, who is 5th in the NFL in total yards from the line of scrimmage.
The Giants cannot expect the same performance out of Barber against the Eagles. The mean, green defense has sured up its tackling during this five game winning streak, and held Barber under 100 yards rushing, not once, but twice this season.
I clearly have a bias towards the Eagles, but they are the hottest team in the NFC right now. Every player on this team is playing at a competitive level that I have never seen before. Even the back-ups held their own against a potent Atlanta offense even before Michael Vick was pulled from the game. I know this playoff run can end this Sunday, the next, or even Super Bowl Sunday (Th football gods would have to be pretty generous). But there is some intangible that has fired up this team that has them playing like they are. Unlike last year, they could not join together due to the T.O. fiasco.
But you hear it from all the players that they believed in themselves when others did not. They treated each game like a playoff game. They have stayed hungry each week, emphasizing after each and every game that "they have not accomplished anything yet." I don't see that in this Giants team that has continually bickered in the locker room after bitter defeats, questioned its coach, and relied on a bust of a first round draft pick. They are falling apart and on the ropes when the Eagles are coming together and playing their best football.
It is said that when an animal is trapped and cornered, it is the most dangerous. The momentum that has carried the Eagles into the playoffs, however, is more than capable of crushing this Giants animal in its corner, and moving on to divisional round and beyond.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Remember No. 5?
A fun little article about Jeff Garcia and Donovan McNabb, who has been completely absent from the media spotlight in the last five weeks. It seems like he and Garcia are in full support of each other, however, and that's good for clubhouse morale. I would expect no less, as the true former Eagles clubhouse cancer is crying under a Texan star somewhere.
Monday, December 25, 2006
The Perfect Christmas Gift
“Hey, Philadelphia. Merry Christmas!”
These words were uttered by Jeff Garcia, the “other” back-up in the NFC East Division. Tony Romo may be heading to the Pro Bowl, but the Eagles are soaring into the playoffs, possibly even a division title if (okay, when) they beat an erratic Atlanta team next weekend on New Year’s Eve. With a more balanced offense, an increasingly aggressive, but confident defense, the Eagles are making a case that they should still be considered the class of the NFC.
I will not lie. I hate, no despise the Dallas Cowboys. When I was growing up, all I ever witnessed was their domination of my football team because of the triumvirate of Aikman, Irvin, and Emmitt. We have been dominating them recently, with the exception of last season. The two victories this season, however, have carried much more weight due to the addition of Terrell Owens, now dubbed “Public Enemy #1” in all Philadelphians’ minds.
The first was an exorcism for Donovan McNabb, our beloved quarterback who once again is watching his football team from the stands thanks to a torn ACL in his knee. He proved once and for all that he is the star of the Eagles football team, not some loud-mouth, pass-dropping, O.D.ing wide receiver, who was held to just three catches in that contest. That win over Dallas in October signified, at the time, that the Eagles were back to their winning ways.
This second victory only emphasizes that fact after they had gone through a dreadful spell of losses, going 4-1 and dropping to 5-6. The Eagles were left for dead after the Indianapolis Colts dismantled them 42-21. Now, they’re back in the saddle again.
Their ability to control the game has been pivotal, particularly in the past two games where the running game has been established. Early in the season, Andy Reid was calling the plays as offensive coordinator and was constantly looking for the big play downfield. This gamble worked on occasion. The main problem with a quick-strike, big play offense is that it does not give the defense the opportunity to rest. And when points are not put up on the board, it puts even more pressure on the defense to make a play and stop the opposing team. Simply put, the defense was dead tired and was in no condition to stop the run.
Now, Marty Mornhinweg has taken the reins on offense and established a more balanced offense. The first drive of the game for the Eagles started on the 11 yard line. They marched 13 plays into the endzone. Such a drive may not have happened under the old offense with McNabb’s eyes always veering downfield. The “early” version of the Eagles never had a scoring drive that lasted more than 6 or 7 plays.
Now, they run the ball. Over 200 yards was amassed on the ground alone, thanks to Brian Westbrook, Correll Buckhalter, and scramblin’ Jeff Garcia. Running the ball runs the clock out and keeps the defense on the field. More importantly, it also keeps the Eagles defense off of it.
The run defense was able to step up for the second consecutive week. They only allowed 83 yards rushing and had one of the most impressive goal-line stands in recent memory. When you consider that Marion Barber, the Cowboys’ second-tier running back, has 14 times out the 28 touches he has had within the 10-yard line, he is almost a sure thing to score. Almost. Parcells went to Barber three times, and the Eagles defense turned him away just as many.
Playing such sound run defense made Romo rely more on the pass, which plays right into defensive coordinator Jim Johnson’s hands. His dynamic array of blitzes and pressure schemes forced the Dallas quarterback to either throw the ball away or into coverage, which resulted into two interceptions. Romo was never comfortable in the pocket as he was hurried, hit, and sacked all night. He didn’t look like the Pro Bowl quarterback, at least for one night.
Run offense and run defense made for quite a victory to regain the top spot in the NFC East.
It also made for a fitting gift for these tortured souls in Philadelphia.
Merry Christmas, indeed!
These words were uttered by Jeff Garcia, the “other” back-up in the NFC East Division. Tony Romo may be heading to the Pro Bowl, but the Eagles are soaring into the playoffs, possibly even a division title if (okay, when) they beat an erratic Atlanta team next weekend on New Year’s Eve. With a more balanced offense, an increasingly aggressive, but confident defense, the Eagles are making a case that they should still be considered the class of the NFC.
I will not lie. I hate, no despise the Dallas Cowboys. When I was growing up, all I ever witnessed was their domination of my football team because of the triumvirate of Aikman, Irvin, and Emmitt. We have been dominating them recently, with the exception of last season. The two victories this season, however, have carried much more weight due to the addition of Terrell Owens, now dubbed “Public Enemy #1” in all Philadelphians’ minds.
The first was an exorcism for Donovan McNabb, our beloved quarterback who once again is watching his football team from the stands thanks to a torn ACL in his knee. He proved once and for all that he is the star of the Eagles football team, not some loud-mouth, pass-dropping, O.D.ing wide receiver, who was held to just three catches in that contest. That win over Dallas in October signified, at the time, that the Eagles were back to their winning ways.
This second victory only emphasizes that fact after they had gone through a dreadful spell of losses, going 4-1 and dropping to 5-6. The Eagles were left for dead after the Indianapolis Colts dismantled them 42-21. Now, they’re back in the saddle again.
Their ability to control the game has been pivotal, particularly in the past two games where the running game has been established. Early in the season, Andy Reid was calling the plays as offensive coordinator and was constantly looking for the big play downfield. This gamble worked on occasion. The main problem with a quick-strike, big play offense is that it does not give the defense the opportunity to rest. And when points are not put up on the board, it puts even more pressure on the defense to make a play and stop the opposing team. Simply put, the defense was dead tired and was in no condition to stop the run.
Now, Marty Mornhinweg has taken the reins on offense and established a more balanced offense. The first drive of the game for the Eagles started on the 11 yard line. They marched 13 plays into the endzone. Such a drive may not have happened under the old offense with McNabb’s eyes always veering downfield. The “early” version of the Eagles never had a scoring drive that lasted more than 6 or 7 plays.
Now, they run the ball. Over 200 yards was amassed on the ground alone, thanks to Brian Westbrook, Correll Buckhalter, and scramblin’ Jeff Garcia. Running the ball runs the clock out and keeps the defense on the field. More importantly, it also keeps the Eagles defense off of it.
The run defense was able to step up for the second consecutive week. They only allowed 83 yards rushing and had one of the most impressive goal-line stands in recent memory. When you consider that Marion Barber, the Cowboys’ second-tier running back, has 14 times out the 28 touches he has had within the 10-yard line, he is almost a sure thing to score. Almost. Parcells went to Barber three times, and the Eagles defense turned him away just as many.
Playing such sound run defense made Romo rely more on the pass, which plays right into defensive coordinator Jim Johnson’s hands. His dynamic array of blitzes and pressure schemes forced the Dallas quarterback to either throw the ball away or into coverage, which resulted into two interceptions. Romo was never comfortable in the pocket as he was hurried, hit, and sacked all night. He didn’t look like the Pro Bowl quarterback, at least for one night.
Run offense and run defense made for quite a victory to regain the top spot in the NFC East.
It also made for a fitting gift for these tortured souls in Philadelphia.
Merry Christmas, indeed!
Monday, December 18, 2006
Alive and Kicking
Few saw this coming. Particularly those who wear green and silver jerseys all year round. Even I was down on the fact that the Eagles were 5-6, teetering on the brink of missing the post-season for the second straight year.
As most recall last season, there was a certain team that maintains on a residence on the awful side of the Keystone State that made it into the playoffs riding a hot streak of victories. There is no reason why the Eagles cannot do that as well, especially after their impressive victory over the Giants yesterday.
The reasons are many. The offense is clicking and potent. There are no Torrance Smalls or Darnell Autreys on this team. There is a potential all-Pro back named Brian Westbrook, who eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his career. He has also stepped up as the vocal leader of this team after #5 went down only a month ago.
Jeff Garcia has resurrected his career in a Rich Gannon-like manner. Each week he becomes more comfortable in an offense he has played under for years. He is efficient and has rarely made mistakes since performing under center. Mr. Garcia was shunned at first by the collective Philadelphia community, but his resilience has won them over. His bloodied hand, which reminded me of Curt Schilling's bloodied sock performance in Game 6 in 2004 against the Yankees, epitomizes his ability to get battered around, but never stay down.
The defense has showed signs of improvement. Turnovers have played a huge part in the last three games the Eagles have won. And one player in particular has had a hand in many of them.
Brian Dawkins, a player who will go down in Eagles lore as the team's greatest safety, has been stunning in performance this season. The kinds of plays he has been making are beyond words. He seems to be willing the defense to improve their play by taking over the game. Against the Redskins, he had a huge pass breakup on third and long to prevent a drive from continuing. His sack of Jason Campbell made the 'Skins settle for a field goal rather than a touchdown, which proved to be the final points the Redskins would notch and sealed an Eagles victory.
Tonight, Dawkins seemed to be everywhere. He had 12 tackles, but more importantly, had a hand in 3 turnovers. He forced two fumbles, that were pivotal in halting two Giants drives. He also came up with an interception that resulted from Eli Manning firing the ball off of Mike Patterson's helmet. On the ensuing offensive drive, the Eagles scored a touchdown. "I look forward to this," said Dawkins. "I'm having a ball. Having to make plays or standing up in these times, I'm happy that I'm making those plays. " A phenomenal performance to say the least.
And now, the Eagles venture to the old West to take on their bitter rivals the Dallas Cowboys. Their playoff destiny is in their hands. They can take control of the division with a win next week and potentially win it if they follow suit in the home finale against Atlanta.
Such an idea is entirely within reach as long as the offense continues to put up point and maintain an edge in the time of possession. Apparently running the ball may have a larger part in the Eagles game plan in the coming weeks.
The defense also has to do its part as it benefits from the offense staying on the field. It has been a long time since they put together such a solid, all-around effort. The defense came up huge with turnovers, limited big plays, and most importantly, stopped the run. It was the first time since Week 6 that the Eagles did not let up more than 100 yards rushing.
If this is the kind of play that can be expected in the next two weeks, the Eagles will be rolling into the playoffs with some serious momentum. It is quite a turn of events, considering the situation a month ago. But like most Eagles fans, it was a most welcome surprise, with the thoughts of playoff football back on their minds.
Here's to putting on hold the Countdown to When Pitchers and Catchers Report.
As most recall last season, there was a certain team that maintains on a residence on the awful side of the Keystone State that made it into the playoffs riding a hot streak of victories. There is no reason why the Eagles cannot do that as well, especially after their impressive victory over the Giants yesterday.
The reasons are many. The offense is clicking and potent. There are no Torrance Smalls or Darnell Autreys on this team. There is a potential all-Pro back named Brian Westbrook, who eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark for the first time in his career. He has also stepped up as the vocal leader of this team after #5 went down only a month ago.
Jeff Garcia has resurrected his career in a Rich Gannon-like manner. Each week he becomes more comfortable in an offense he has played under for years. He is efficient and has rarely made mistakes since performing under center. Mr. Garcia was shunned at first by the collective Philadelphia community, but his resilience has won them over. His bloodied hand, which reminded me of Curt Schilling's bloodied sock performance in Game 6 in 2004 against the Yankees, epitomizes his ability to get battered around, but never stay down.
The defense has showed signs of improvement. Turnovers have played a huge part in the last three games the Eagles have won. And one player in particular has had a hand in many of them.
Brian Dawkins, a player who will go down in Eagles lore as the team's greatest safety, has been stunning in performance this season. The kinds of plays he has been making are beyond words. He seems to be willing the defense to improve their play by taking over the game. Against the Redskins, he had a huge pass breakup on third and long to prevent a drive from continuing. His sack of Jason Campbell made the 'Skins settle for a field goal rather than a touchdown, which proved to be the final points the Redskins would notch and sealed an Eagles victory.
Tonight, Dawkins seemed to be everywhere. He had 12 tackles, but more importantly, had a hand in 3 turnovers. He forced two fumbles, that were pivotal in halting two Giants drives. He also came up with an interception that resulted from Eli Manning firing the ball off of Mike Patterson's helmet. On the ensuing offensive drive, the Eagles scored a touchdown. "I look forward to this," said Dawkins. "I'm having a ball. Having to make plays or standing up in these times, I'm happy that I'm making those plays. " A phenomenal performance to say the least.
And now, the Eagles venture to the old West to take on their bitter rivals the Dallas Cowboys. Their playoff destiny is in their hands. They can take control of the division with a win next week and potentially win it if they follow suit in the home finale against Atlanta.
Such an idea is entirely within reach as long as the offense continues to put up point and maintain an edge in the time of possession. Apparently running the ball may have a larger part in the Eagles game plan in the coming weeks.
The defense also has to do its part as it benefits from the offense staying on the field. It has been a long time since they put together such a solid, all-around effort. The defense came up huge with turnovers, limited big plays, and most importantly, stopped the run. It was the first time since Week 6 that the Eagles did not let up more than 100 yards rushing.
If this is the kind of play that can be expected in the next two weeks, the Eagles will be rolling into the playoffs with some serious momentum. It is quite a turn of events, considering the situation a month ago. But like most Eagles fans, it was a most welcome surprise, with the thoughts of playoff football back on their minds.
Here's to putting on hold the Countdown to When Pitchers and Catchers Report.
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Lyric Association: MNF Edition
Like one of the other great columnists/bloggers of this millenium, Bill Simmons, I am going to associate a certain lyric or movie line/scene with certain events that happen during the week. Most of the time, these will be sports-related, but hey, I'm flexible and enjoy other things outside of sports (okay, playing college football video games doesn't count, but I'll work on having a life later). The inaugural lyric pertains to the tough victory the Philadelphia Eagles earned an hour or two ago:
You can hate me now.. but I won't stop now..
Cause I can't stop now.. you can hate me now..
But I won't stop now.. cause I can't stop now..
--Nas
This one goes out to Jeff Garcia. In Philadelphia, we enjoy to boo. We boo our players, refs, Santa Claus, Michael Irvin, Santa Claus, and anything else that we damn well please when we are frustrated. Hell, we would probably boo the little kids that play hockey in between periods of the Flyers games if they weren't so cute and hilarious on the ice. Right now, though, I have to give kudos to our back-up quaterback. He has stepped into an almost impossible situation of filling the shoes of a beloved icon in the City of Brotherly Love. And with Super Bowl aspirations at the beginning of the season already seemingly dashed, the Eagles needed Jeff Garcia to control the offense.
And he has these past two games. Last week, the run defense showed up in it's swiss cheese package for the fourth straight game and essentially handed the game over to Joseph Addai who scored all the touchdowns that the Colts required to win. Garcia was impressive, though, completing an absurd 82 % of his passes and two TDs.
Tonight, in his home debut as a starter, he had a rocky start, but my what a finish. While the completion percentage dropped (most of which is attributed to dropped passes and a number of errant throws), Garcia gets the game-ball. He tossed 3 TDs to no interceptions in addition to over 300 yards passing. The criticism of his inability to throw the deep ball was answered with two plays: an astounding one-handed catch by Donte Stallworth and a game-tying strike to Reggie Brown.
The lyric, though, pertains most to the boos. Garcia took two nasty licks in succesion, one of which drew a roughing the passer penalty and the other where he was flattened by Kris Jenkins. The latter most likely knocked the wind out of him, but he was on the ground for quite some time and there were cheers because A.J. Feely had a chance to enter the game. Garcia, though, eventually waved him off.
And then the boos began. Philadelphia wants Feely in because of his record a few years ago when McNabb broke his ankle. Unwavered by this display of what can only be termed as"tough love" (or maybe "irrational anger to win with no championships for 23 years") Garcia ignored the boos and followed the display of tough love with 30 yard pass to a wide-open Stallworth who leapt into the endzone to tie the game at 14 points a piece.
This win clearly marks the return of the stout mean green machine defense (at least for this game anyways) that played hard and forced turnovers at critical moments in the game (i.e. Brian Dawkins and Lito Sheppard). But this game belongs to Garcia because no matter how much booing the fans have thrown his way, he stepped up tonight and kept the Eagles in the game tonight. And hopefully, he won't stop now because with the NFC once again in a ridiculously mediocre playoff race, the Eagles still have a shot at securing a wild card spot.
You can hate me now.. but I won't stop now..
Cause I can't stop now.. you can hate me now..
But I won't stop now.. cause I can't stop now..
--Nas
This one goes out to Jeff Garcia. In Philadelphia, we enjoy to boo. We boo our players, refs, Santa Claus, Michael Irvin, Santa Claus, and anything else that we damn well please when we are frustrated. Hell, we would probably boo the little kids that play hockey in between periods of the Flyers games if they weren't so cute and hilarious on the ice. Right now, though, I have to give kudos to our back-up quaterback. He has stepped into an almost impossible situation of filling the shoes of a beloved icon in the City of Brotherly Love. And with Super Bowl aspirations at the beginning of the season already seemingly dashed, the Eagles needed Jeff Garcia to control the offense.
And he has these past two games. Last week, the run defense showed up in it's swiss cheese package for the fourth straight game and essentially handed the game over to Joseph Addai who scored all the touchdowns that the Colts required to win. Garcia was impressive, though, completing an absurd 82 % of his passes and two TDs.
Tonight, in his home debut as a starter, he had a rocky start, but my what a finish. While the completion percentage dropped (most of which is attributed to dropped passes and a number of errant throws), Garcia gets the game-ball. He tossed 3 TDs to no interceptions in addition to over 300 yards passing. The criticism of his inability to throw the deep ball was answered with two plays: an astounding one-handed catch by Donte Stallworth and a game-tying strike to Reggie Brown.
The lyric, though, pertains most to the boos. Garcia took two nasty licks in succesion, one of which drew a roughing the passer penalty and the other where he was flattened by Kris Jenkins. The latter most likely knocked the wind out of him, but he was on the ground for quite some time and there were cheers because A.J. Feely had a chance to enter the game. Garcia, though, eventually waved him off.
And then the boos began. Philadelphia wants Feely in because of his record a few years ago when McNabb broke his ankle. Unwavered by this display of what can only be termed as"tough love" (or maybe "irrational anger to win with no championships for 23 years") Garcia ignored the boos and followed the display of tough love with 30 yard pass to a wide-open Stallworth who leapt into the endzone to tie the game at 14 points a piece.
This win clearly marks the return of the stout mean green machine defense (at least for this game anyways) that played hard and forced turnovers at critical moments in the game (i.e. Brian Dawkins and Lito Sheppard). But this game belongs to Garcia because no matter how much booing the fans have thrown his way, he stepped up tonight and kept the Eagles in the game tonight. And hopefully, he won't stop now because with the NFC once again in a ridiculously mediocre playoff race, the Eagles still have a shot at securing a wild card spot.
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