The Eagles now sit alone on top of the NFC East after a thrashing of the Jacksonville Jaguars 28-3. The main story heading into this game was the change at the quarterback position, with Michael Vick announced as the starter. Vick had a good game going 17 for 31 for 291 yards with 3 touchdowns. Vick also had 4 carries for 30 yards and a touchdown.
Vick had it easy on Sunday when DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin took off for career games. Jackson had 5 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown. Jackson was able to turn the speed on against the Jaguars and took off every time he touched the football. Maclin had a great game as well. Maclin had 4 catches for 83 yards and 2 touchdowns. Maclin showed Eagles fans that he as well could be explosive.
The real news, however, was how well the Eagles defense played. With the return of Stewart Bradley on Sunday, the Eagles defense had their anchor back. The defense was able to hold Maurice Jones-Drew to 88 yards on the ground and no touchdowns. Altogether, the Eagles defense held the Jaguars offense to 184 total yards. Bradley didn’t have a great game, but just his presence on the field changed how the Eagles defense played.
There were two players on defense that really stepped up in this game and kept the pressure on David Garrard. Those players are DT Trevor Laws and DE Daryl Tapp. Tapp and Laws had great games against the Jaguars and were able to keep the pressure on Garrard consistently throughout the game.
The Eagles will get to see real competition for the first time since Green Bay in week one next Sunday. The Eagles will see how good their defense and offense really is on Sunday as they face Donovan McNabb and the Washington Redskins.
The game plan for the Eagles this week is easy, stop Maurice Jones Drew! With Stewart Bradley back in this game, the defense should be ready to step up and play well on Sunday.
The Eagles have new life on offense with the explosive Michael Vick as their quarterback heading into Sundays game. Look for Vick to move around and make plays for the Eagles and hope that the offensive line can stay intact and healthy for Vick. Look for the Eagles explosiveness to show on Sunday for what could be their highest scoring game of the season.
A look at the spread: the Eagles are favored by 3 on the Jaguars. The Eagles have never won a game in Jacksonville but look to change that on Sunday. The Eagles should be able to put this game in cruise control and fly to a victory. If I was a betting man, I would take the Eagles in this one.
Who to look for: Keep an eye on LeSean McCoy. McCoy has been playing great and really is under the radar. He could be the fantasy difference maker this week for your team. Shady McCoy has been ready and willing to take the ball for the Eagles and gain a lot of yards in the last two weeks. Look for his success to continue against the Jaguars.
After Andy Reid continued to defend Kevin Kolb as his starting quarterback for the 2010 season, the Eagles made an announcement Tuesday at around 6:00 PM that Michael Vick would be the starting quarterback for the Eagles for the rest of the season. Why?
Reid said that Vick “is the hottest quarterback right now in the NFL”.The way the Eagles offense is set up having Vick as their quarterback gives them the best chance to win.How? The Eagles offensive line is so bad that even Kevin Kolb’s quick release isn’t enough to give the Eagles explosive offense, well explosiveness. Michael Vick has been able to get away from the blitz and keep plays alive, even with a lackluster offensive line.
The problem with Vick is that he is an inaccurate quarterback and was dropped passes away from giving up two interceptions versus “the Lions.
Why play Kolb? Kolb is supposed to be the “future” of the Eagles but no one really knows what Kolb could bring to the table. Kolb is due for big money and a long term deal with the Eagles, but why sign a player to big money when you have no idea what he brings to the table? That is the reason why you give the Kevin Kolb at least a few chances to start before the Eagles sign Kolb to a big contract. Kolb also wasn’t given a real chance in the first half of the first game of the season versus the Packers. In key situations in which Kolb could have excelled, Reid put Vick in. No one truly knows what Kolb truly brings to the table.
What the Phans think:
“I just want to win a championship, and I will support either QB who is able to do it.”
“Kolb throws the ball just 10 times and he is removed as starter? They didn't even give him a chance.”
“I never knew ONE half of football determines how good a football player really is smh.. lost all respect for the eagles organization at least give Kolb a fair chance to compete for the job”
“Simple fact is that the line is broken. Vick can play on the run and Kolb cant. It’s easier to stick with Vick right now then it is for try to fix the line problems. Play Vick while the line Gels once the line is solid and then start rotating Kolb in. Vick will be out to door in a year or two and Kolb can try again at starting QB.”
“Okay so let me get this straight..The line sucks which is obvious so we bench Kolb so he doesn't get hurt n ruin his future okay i get that..so let’s tell Kolb he’s our starter lets trade our franchise QB give this guy a new contract n BENCH ...him because our line sucks let’s not give him a fair chance lets shatter this guys confidence....and to u subbing Vick and Kolb in why would they do this? Makes no sense at all only reason they were subbing Vick in was for wildcat purposes what does subbing Kolb on do for you? We gave up McNabb n signed Kolb to a contract i think he at least deserves a chance to compete for the job not ONE half and have Vick come in play good and then beat the LIONS of all teams n hand him the job… just isn’t fair n total disrespect to Kolb and it’s a bad message being sent to the team for stating Kolb will be the starter after he comes back from injury and then naming Vick starter don’t know how well players can trust Reid's word now and then what happens if eagles make playoffs with Vick? Do they sign him to an extension n trade Kolb or keep Kolb and pay both big money? Or let him go n than all of a sudden hand it over to Kolb? Why now after u make playoffs with Vick? Whole situation just doesn’t make sense to me”
The Eagles defeated the Detroit Lions on Sunday 35-32. Michael Vick went 21 for 34 for 284 yards and 2 Touchdowns. The key to the Eagles victory also was the running game of LeSean McCoy. On 16 carries, McCoy ran for 120 yards (7.5 yards per carry) and 3 Touchdowns. McCoy took off for the Eagles against Detroit and showed what a running game could bring to the Eagles already explosive offense.
DeSean Jackson made an appearance on Sunday as well, with four catches for 135 yards and a Touchdown. Jackson’s explosiveness was something the Eagles were missing in Week One against the Packers.
After the game Michael Vick said, “This is Kevin's team. All Iwanted to do was come out and get the momentum going. I'm sure Kevinwill be back next week”.
After the game Andy Reid announced that both Kevin Kolb and MLB Stewart Bradley have been cleared to play next week and both will indeed start.
ESPN NFC East Blogger Matt Mosely’s take on the Eagles win: “The Philadelphia Eagles overcame a 17-7 deficit to win on the road. We still don't know what to make of this team, but it was good to see them overcome some adversity to get to 1-1. This offensive line is an absolute mess, so it's not like Kevin Kolb will return to a calm situation. And his backup's solid performance isn't going to make it any easier.”
Mosely also mentions how the Eagles fell asleep after a big lead. This is something the Eagles have had trouble with in the past, they need to change that quickly if they want to become a contending team in the NFC.
NFC East Scoreboard Watch
Hou: 30 Wash: 27
Chi: 27 Dal: 20
Ind: 38 NYG: 14
Right now it is a three-way tie to head the NFC East; The New York Giants, Washington Redskins, and the Philadelphia Eagles all have 1-1 records. The Dallas Cowboys sit in last right now at 0-2.
There were many questions for the Eagles heading into Week Two against the Lions. The main question, who will be the Eagles Quarterback? That question sat with Andy Reid all week as his starting QB, Kevin Kolb, left Week One with a concussion. Backup QB, Michael Vick, then lead the Eagles back in the game, only to fall on a 4th and 1 play. On Thursday, Reid officially ruled out both MLB Stewart Bradley and QB Kevin Kolb (both with concussions).
Vick will now lead the Eagles against the Detroit Lions. The Lions are coming off of an upsetting loss in Week One, where a blown call by the referee cost them the game. The Lions are an aggressive team, lead by WR Calvin Johnson. Johnson has become one of the best WRs in the league since coming into the NFL. The Lions only problem, however, is Quarterback. Franchise QB Matthew Stafford went down with an injury and Week One and was automatically ruled out versus the Eagles on the spot. The Lions will now be lead by QB Shaun Hill against the Eagles.
Look for the Lions to work on the Eagles weakness at LB by running the ball more and opening up the short passing game. The Lions will use TE Brandon Pettigrew as much as possible against an Eagles Defense that his trouble stopping the Tight End.
A look at the spread: The Eagles are favored by 6.5 at the Lions. I expect the Eagles to win this game by a 10 point margin. The Eagles offense is way too high powered for the Lions to stop them. However, be warned the Eagles tend to play down to bad teams.
Game one is officially in the books and the Philadelphia Eagles suffered a 27-20 loss at the hands of the Packers, however, that wasn’t the worst thing to happen to them on Sunday.
The Eagles suffered through injury after injury, penalty after penalty, mistake after mistake, and still made Game One an entertaining game.
The Eagles entered week one with the healthiest team in the NFL, they left week one more injured then us phans would like.
Let’s start from the worst down. Eagles Fullback Leonard Weaver was taken off the field with an apparent knee injury. Andy Reid has officially announced that Weaver has a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season. Weaver is expected to get an MRI Monday morning.
Center Jamaal Jackson left the Eagles game early on Sunday with an apparent arm injury. Reid tells us that Jackson has a torn bicep and may also be out for the season. This leaves more open questions for the Eagles offensive line, knowing that starting Guard, Nick Cole, replaced Jackson last season at center.
Middle Linebacker, Stewart Bradley, fell to the ground on Sunday before the first half looking very dizzy. Bradley left the game with a concussion and the defense wasn’t the same without him. Bradley rejuvenated the Eagles defense in the first half, as they worked well together with him on the field. When Bradley left, the Eagles defense wasn’t the same. At Half Time, Bradley was missing in action. Without Bradley the defense made a few mistakes that could have cost them the game.
Starting Quarterback, Kevin Kolb went down with a Jaw Injury after being hit hard in the second quarter. Kolb was then feeling dizziness and has been ruled with a concussion. Reid says that if Kolb is healthy next week, he will be the starting Quarterback.
After Michael Vick came in to replace Kolb, fans have started to come out and say bench Kolb and start Vick … much like fans were saying last season about Kolb replacing McNabb. The problem that Kolb really had in the game was that Reid didn’t give Kolb the opportunities to play in key plays of the first half. Reid consistently put Vick in the game in situations that would have given Kolb the opportunity to shine. That wasn’t Kolb’s only problem in this game. He was consistently under pressure as the Packers kept sending the blitz from all different directions at Kolb to the point that the offensive line couldn’t stop the blitz from coming.
After Kolb went down injured, Vick played well and was able to rush away from the blitz. Vick had some opportunities to run the ball into the end zone, but decided to use his arm to get a touchdown, he failed. However, Vick did go 16 for 24 for 175 yards and a touchdown. Vick also ran the ball 11 times for 103 yards.
The Eagles defense did play well, as Trent Cole had 6 tackle with 1 sack and Juqua Parker’s two sacks changed the pace of the first half of the game. Rookie Nate Allen had 5 tackles of his own and an interception. Allen is the first Eagles rookie to have an interception in a game since Eric Allen did it in 1988.
The Eagles Kick Return coverage played very iffy on Sunday, however, Sav Rocca and David Akers both put on impressive performances for the Special Teams. Akers went 2 for 2 on Field Goals. Rocca had 5 punts for 240 yards and a 48 yard average.
The Special Teams play was terrible otherwise. The Packers seemed to get down the field easy on kick returns and also on punt returns. On punt returns, Eagles Special Team “specialist” Hank Baskett missed a wide open tackle. On another one, HB Eldra Buckley ran over the returner after a fair catch was called for. One thing the Eagles have to work on at practice this week is discipline, not only on Special Teams, but in Penalties as well.
At one point of the game the Eagles had more penalty yards then they had offensive, now that is a scary number.
The drive that changed the game however was the Eagles last. The Eagles had the perfect opportunity to drive the ball down field and tie it up; however, a poor play call by Andy Reid on 4th and 1 caused the Eagles the game. Reid decided to go with a QB Draw play that was stuffed at the line of scrimmage. This was an easily readable play as Reid has tried to do it consistently in the past.
After that stop, the Eagles had zero time outs, so the Packers ran the clock out.
The Eagles fell in Week One after an impressive comeback to show that this team is never going down without a fight.
The Green Bay Packers are ranked by multiple “experts” as team that will be in the Super Bowl for the NFC. In week one the Eagles and Kevin Kolb are ready to show where they will rank in the NFC this season right off the bat.
The Packers have an explosive offense lead by one of the top Quarterbacks in the League, Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has many options to go to in the offense, including Greg Jennings and Donald Driver.
The Packers weakness for Sunday will be their defensive secondary. CB Al Harris is missing this week’s game with an injury as the Packers have to figure out a way to cover the explosiveness of the Philadelphia Eagles offense.
The Eagles are the healthiest team in the NFL heading into Week One of the season, but look to have a two man rotation at the Center Position, as Jamaal Jackson is coming off of an ACL injury. The Eagles announced that Jackson and McGlynn will both take reps at the center position, which could be a huge weakness for the Eagles on Sunday.
A look at the spread: The Eagles are 3 point underdogs at home versus the Green Bay Packers. Both teams are very explosive, but we still do not know how Kevin Kolb will run the Eagles offense. Advice is to stay away from betting on this game and just enjoy it.
Notes: The Eagles will be wearing their Kelly Green Jerseys in celebration of their 50th Anniversary of the 1960 NFL Championship, a game in which the Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers. Look for members of the 1960 team like Tommy McDonald and Chuck Bednarik.
The time is upon us, football season is here again as the Eagles look ahead to a new Era in Eagles Football. Donovan McNabb is now a memory in Philly as the Kolb Era is ready to officially begin in 2010. Much like every season the Eagles enter 2010 with strengths and weaknesses on both sides of the football.
The offense, although they had trouble scoring in the preseason, looks explosive and ready to score at will. Kevin Kolb has a talented group of Wide Receivers and Running Backs he is ready to work with. DeSean Jackson may be the most electrifying player in the NFL today, but it’s Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, and Brent Celek who will benefit more from Jackson’s speed. Kolb could become a master of the quick pass. It is up to him to have a quick release when dropping back to pass. 2010 will tell us what the future holds for the Eagles QB position.
The worry for the Eagles offense isn’t Wide Receiver or Half Back or Quarterback (like it has been in the past). No, the weakness is the Offensive Line. The Eagles have officially ended the Andrews Brothers Era on the Offensive Line and have decided to go a different route. With Jason Peters (T), Todd Herremans (G), Jamaal Jackson (C), Nick Cole (G), and Winston Justice (T), the Eagles Offensive line is a huge weakness for them. Jackson, Herremans, and Cole are all coming off of injury and played little to none in the preseason. Jason Peters, although a “Pro Bowl Player”, is still very questionable as the Eagles Tackle. He did not impress any fans in 2009 (a Pro Bowl Season) and has to work better on protecting his Quarterback. The jury is still out on Winston Justice, who filled in for the “mentally disturbed” Shawn Andrews in 2009 and played well for the Eagles. Nick Cole has been moved constantly, from Guard to Center, and now back to Guard from Center. Cole had trouble in the last few weeks of the season in 2009 and is a player to look out for on the Offensive Line.
Andy Reid, however, should not be afraid of an OK offensive line. Reid expects other teams to blitz, and when then do, all Kolb has to do is get the ball out to one of his many playmakers.
Contrary to what people think, the Defense actually does not look bad. Stewart Bradley and Ernie Sims truly change the style of play for the Eagles Defense. Bradley, a true leader, steps up to make the big stop and will actually help defensive backs, like Quintin Mikell, excel this season. Ernie Sims is a hard hitting Linebacker who is ready to stick his nose in any situation and make the big stop. These two additions to the 2010 depth chart makes the Eagles Linebacker position a lot better than it was in a 2009 season where the Eagles made the Playoffs.
The worry may be the two starting Cornerbacks. Asante Samuel is one of the best corners in the league, however, he sometimes has trouble tackling and jumps passes too much (which now leads to having the Rookie Nate Allen do more). Ellis Hobbs is a good Nickel corner and for some reason I still can’t see him as the starter for 2010. The Eagles, however, have good backups with Trevard Lindley and Joselio Hanson. Look for these two to play well and step up to make a big stop here and there.
On the Special Teams side, Sav Rocca has looked increasingly better this preseason then he has at anytime during his Eagles career. Sav is punting well and is going to be a big help eating up yards on a punt.
When in doubt, trust David Akers. Akers made all but one field goal in the 2010 preseason and looks great again for the 2010 season. Akers has been the most consistent kicker in the NFL throughout his career and looks to continue that trend in 2010.
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