SB Nation - Reggie Brown

49ers-Eagles: Can the 49ers even hope to contain DeSean Jackson?

Fooch — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 16:06:34 -0000

More photos » by Julie Jacobson - AP

On Tuesday, Frank Gore was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week following an impressive 167 yard, 1 TD performance in the 49ers win over the Arizona Cardinals. As was briefly mentioned, some folks were surprised to not see DeSean Jackson's name on the award given his incredible performance against the Giants on Sunday Night Football. Well, Jackson ended up being named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his punt return touchdown.

As much as I loved Frank Gore's performance, if there were an award for overall player of the week, DeSean Jackson would have had as strong a case as any player with his punt return TD, along with his 178 receiving yards and receiving touchdown. I'd say that's a rather adequate performance, wouldn't you?

The 2009 Eagles have put together some impressive offensive performances at times and have a host of intriguing weapons with which the 49ers will have to contend. At this point, the biggest threats are in the passing game. It sounds like Brian Westbrook will likely be out again this week, leaving the remaining Philly running backs who have been rather inconsistent at times, and downright awful the last couple weeks.

When looking at the Eagles passing game, Donovan McNabb is guiding things and Brent Celek is certainly a very solid tight end. However, at this point DeSean Jackson is the guy who probably scares me the most. Given his career at Cal that's not exactly shocking, but it's still the biggest issue to be addressed at this point. Jackson can certainly be contained, but it takes a whole lot of work on a whole lot of fronts. After all, he's continued to impress as a punt returner, and has blown past cornerbacks with ease much of the 2009 season.

After the jump we look at DeSean Jackson the punt returner, and DeSean Jackson the wide receiver.

DeSean Jackson - Punt Returner
As solid as Jackson can be as a wide receiver, the punt return game is where he is often his most dangerous. To date Jackson is averaging 17.7 yards per punt return. In 10 of 13 games he's had at least one 20+ yard punt return. Generally punt returning can be boom or bust for most teams. And yet I consider myself surprised when Jackson doesn't have a big return in a game, even if he doesn't take it the house.

Of course, this plays somewhat into the 49ers wheelhouse given the fact that they have one of the best in the business in Andy Lee. Lee gets an impressive combination of distance and hang time that usually allows him to avoid over-kicking the punt return coverage. Lee is 2nd in the NFL in net punt yards, and the 49ers are 14th in the league in punt return average at 8.3 yards. While that is not fantastic, it's still solid enough. The 49ers will be facing their toughest test of the season in Jackson. When a team faces a great punt returner, the team will aim for shorter punts out of bounds rather than give up the big return. I'd imagine initially the 49ers are going to be willing to play with fire and see if Andy Lee and his punt coverage team can contain the best returner in the game right now.

DeSean Jackson - Wide Receiver
Jackson was certainly a solid receiver in college, but I always thought he did most of his damage as a return man. I was able to pull up his ESPN college stats page, and it's an intriguing group of numbers. His final season saw an increase his receptions, but a sizable decrease in yards per catch. I recall some complaints about his receiving skills his final season, but nothing of the sort regarding his punt return skills.

However, since taking his game to the NFL, I wonder if he's starting to turn into a better receiver? His yards per catch this season surpasses his best year in college and it seems like we're always treated to footage of him having to slow down after burning a receiver after Donovan McNabb seems to underthrow the speedy receiver. Whatever the case may be, I feel more impressed with him as a receiver in the NFL than I did when he was a receiver at Cal. Maybe at Cal he felt he didn't need to bring his A-game every week, or maybe there's some other reason. Either way, he's impressing.

Of course, that means somebody on the 49ers will get the pleasure of covering Jackson on Sunday. This past week saw the 49ers do a masterful job against the dynamic Arizona receiving duo of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. I'm guessing at this point we'll see Shawntae Spencer covering Jackson. The Eagles will be without Jeremy Maclin this Sunday, but could have Kevin Curtis in the lineup. It sounds like the top 3 receivers for Philly will be Jackson, Reggie Brown and Jason Avant. It's a bit of speculation, but I suppose the matchups would be Spencer/Jackson, Bly/R. Brown and T. Brown/Avant.

When you've become the #1 corner, as it appears is the case with Spencer, you're going to face a team's #1 guy most every week. Spencer did a good job last week, although he certainly had to benefit from the beating Kurt Warner took for much of the game. It'll be interesting to see if he can keep up with speedy Jackson all game long.

DeSean Jackson can certainly be contained. He's had his share of poor performances, but right now he's playing well, and just as importantly, his quarterback also seems to be playing fairly well. During this 4-game winning streak, Donovan McNabb has put up very solid numbers, even if they don't blow you away at first sight. The question now is if the 49ers can slow down what has been a rather prolific scoring team. If they're going to do this, it will likely require finding a way to shut down both DeSean Jacksons.

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:30:13 -0000

More photos » by Reed Hoffmann - AP

17 days ago: Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Brodie Croyle (12) has a pass attempt blocked by Denver Broncos tight end Richard Quinn (81) during a fake punt attempt at the start of the second half of their game, giving the Broncos the ball deep in Chiefs territory in their NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

Browse more photos »

Happy Tuesday, friends, and welcome to another edition of ST&NO. After being sick last week, and running an abbreviated version on Wednesday, I am back in full effect this week. I feel kind of like Stringer Bell in season 2 of The Wire, when Avon Barksdale was locked up, and their supplier cut them off. Stringer said he needed to put out a smoker to hold the towers, and I feel like a smoker is similarly needed this week with ST&NO. After all, I can't really do what Stringer actually did, when he couldn't get his raw dope, and change the name. Nobody is going to read a column called Death Grip, you know? (Really, I don't know what kind of drug addict would buy dope called Death Grip, but that's neither here nor there.) Anyway, here comes the high test stuff, with the same name as always. So fill up your coffee, get comfortable, and let's get right to it. Ready.... BEGIN!!!

1. You have to like how the Broncos looked Sunday, even in spite of 3 turnovers by Kyle Orton. They once again beat down a bad team, which is what good teams have to do. They shot a hole in the terribly inane thinking that they couldn't win in Kansas City in December, and they strengthened their hold on the 5th seed in the playoffs. Helping matters, the Steelers and Ravens both lost to fall to 6-6, so their two competitors who beat them head-to-head lost some ground. I fully expect Jacksonville to choke, and I am starting to think that Miami is going to sneak into the 6th spot, actually.

In any case, the Broncos are in a pretty good place right now. Peter King declared them to be toast two weeks ago, done, kaput. On Monday, he called them a psycho team, and ranked them 10th in the Fool 15. I am still feeling good about this Indianapolis game, and I am sure that the Broncos match up pretty well with the Colts. Coverage is the only way to beat them, and the Broncos are back to covering as well as anybody. I fully expect the Broncos to run for 150 yards against the Colts too, if they can keep the score within striking distance.

It's a good Tuesday to be a Broncos fan. Our team is in in the midst of a season which we can only consider to be a success up until this point. They've come together as a team, learned how to win close games against good teams, learned how to blow out bad teams, and figured out their brand new schemes. They've seemingly bought into one of the main Patriots mantras, that Durability is more important than Ability. Everybody is working hard to Do Their Job. This is when it's good to be a fan of a team, and when it's good to be a fan of a team, it's great to be alive.

2. Information From My Eyes - Denver at Kansas City

a. Kyle Orton had a C+ game, but I felt like all three turnovers he committed were a result of him being somewhat greedy. He's supposed to be the guy who checks it down when nothing is there, isn't he? I hope that film provides a good reminder for him to do so.

b. Knowshon Moreno improves every week, and he's really looking decisive lately. You can tell that he has had a big dose of Bobby Turner's foot in his backside this year. For a pick I didn't love when it was made, I have really come to be happy with Knowshon.

c. I was pretty worried during Kansas City's 20 play first quarter drive, because the tackling and gap discipline looked pretty bad. The Broncos sure stiffened by the goal line, though, and they set the tone for the rest of the game's defensive performance.

d. I meant to talk about setting the edge last week, but I forgot to. My brother Chris felt that Matt Millen made too much of the concept during the Broncos-Giants game, but I disagree, because it's all-important to the way the Broncos run the ball, and the way they defend against the run. The Broncos have been fanstastic in their own running game with setting the edge the past two games, led by Daniel Graham. He is getting out and winning his battles outside, and giving the runners a sealed edge to run inside of. Many of Correll Buckhalter's big runs on Sunday came just inside of Graham.

On defense, the idea is the same, but the defender wants to push the edge man back into the inside, and close off the outside lane. Mario Haggan has been doing this as well as any LB in the NFL this season. He has really found his niche as a physical, upfield run player. Ryan McBean makes a lot of plays in this way, as well.

Winning the physical battles at the edge is the key to everything for the Broncos, and they lost those battles during the losing streak. Since they've gotten back to winning, it's been no accident that they're winning at the edge on both sides of the ball.

e. The kick return where Eddie Royal faked a reverse to Brandon Marshall was interesting. I expect to see them actually hand that off one of these weeks.

f. Alphonso Smith needs to knock off the sucker penalties.

g. Spencer Larsen is an appreciably better blocker than Peyton Hillis. He just thumps guys, and it goes well with the work that Graham and Richard Quinn are doing at TE.

h. Tony Scheffler had a huge 3^rd down drop in 2^nd Quarter, and it was exactly the kind of play that has prevented the Broncos from being an elite offense. You have to make plays when they are available to be made. At least Scheffler blasted the return man on the ensuing punt.

i. Tamba Hali is a good fit for the 3-4, as I have been saying since the preseason. He's aggressive, quick, strong, and as a lifelong down DE, he has very good technique. The first sack he got on Ryan Clady was all technique. The Broncos did take advantage of Hali's aggressiveness on both TD passes, though, and also on the 49 yard bubble screen that Brandon Marshall had.

j. I saw where somebody said we should thank Phildelphia for Brian Dawkins and Correll Buckhalter. Miami is due a thank you card for Andre Goodman and Renaldo Hill, as well. If Goodman were just a little better tackler, I'd be even happier, but everybody should have noticed by now that the ball just seems to find its way into his hands.

k. Matt Prater has developed into one of the best kickers in the NFL. It's time we all realize that, and appreciate his work.

l. My biggest problem with Mitch Berger is that he takes too long to get the ball off. He had yet another seeing-eye punt on Sunday, which inexplicably missed a dead-to-rights block. Upgrading the punter position has to be a huge priority in the offseason.

m. It was great to see Peyton Hillis running the ball again, and he reminded the world that he can do some damage with it. Hopefully, the performance will get him some snaps on offense, because he clearly has something to contribute.

n. I really like Darcel McBath as a matchup safety. He is always around the ball when he is on the field, and I think his pick was a triumph of player evaluation. Draftniks considered him a reach, but he was hard to spot on some abysmal Texas Tech defensive units. He clearly has the goods, though; it jumps off the screen at you.

3. Information From My Eyes - Other games

a. I watched most of the San Francisco-Seattle game, and you know that means I will have some Alex Smith thoughts. He played great on Sunday, and did everything the team needed from him to win, short of missing one open receiver on a deep out in the 4^th quarter. It was the first 300 yard passing game of his career, and it should have been a lot more. His teammates dropped at least 9 passes in the game, including 3 TDs, by Delanie Walker, Vernon Davis, and Michael Crabtree.

b. Speaking of Smith, I meant to clear up an uttlerly stupid comment made by the always-brilliant Solomon Wilcots during last week's game. The head cold I was feeling made me forget to mention it, I guess. Wilcots noticed that the 49ers were (smartly) using Smith in the shotgun very frequently, and he said (I'm paraphrasing) that Smith was very comfortable, because he had used the exact same offense throughout college.

That's very interesting, Saruman, except, he didn't. This gets to my constant annoyance about the term "Spread Offense." There is no one monolithic spread offense. There are college teams which do some similar things formationally, with a lot of WRs, and many plays with the QB taking snaps from the shotgun, but the actual plays vary greatly. The 49ers aren't doing anything that is much like the Urban Meyer offense he played in at Utah. There are no option plays, and no shovel passes. The pass routes are actually tending to be much more horizontal and timed than the stuff he did in college.

A bunch of WRs and a shotgun setup does not mean you're playing a "spread offense," and saying that you're playing a "spread offense" doesn't mean the same thing from one place to the next. Smith is most comfortable in his footwork and reads from the shotgun, and he has time to get the ball out before he gets crushed behind the Niners terrible O-line. Smith has been sacked only once in the last 2 games. My only concern is that they've abandoned the run too much, and need to stick to it much more.

c. I remember thinking that Seattle looked pretty good against the Broncos in the preseason, but as I watched the game today, I was thinking that I really don't like the way their team is constructed. They have 3 terribly overpaid guys at WR (Deion Branch, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Nate Burleson), and not much talent at RB or on the offensive line. The only players I really like at all on their defense are Brandon Mebane and Aaron Curry. They have a lot of money invested in Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill at LB, but I think both guys are just solid players (Tatupu is currently hurt, obviously.) I think they ought to go to a 3-4, if they can get a good NT in the offseason. (A few should be available.) The guy they have, Colin Cole, is more of a backup caliber guy. They could stand up Patrick Kerney, and use Curry in a blitzing role, which he is best suited for. Of course, their secondary will still be lousy, unless they address it.

d. Chad Henne looked really good on Sunday. I had the Miami-New England game on the smaller TV, during the Broncos game, and just about every time I looked over, he was making a play for his team. If he keeps it up, he'll be able to easily afford tattoo removal before too long.

e. ST&NO favorite Sean Smith had an interesting game on Sunday. He gave up an 81 yard TD to Sam Aiken on a play where he had perfect bump and run coverage but didn't find the ball in the air, and fell down trying. Later, he got beaten by Aiken on a double move, and Tom Brady overthrew him by about a foot. He got beat on a perfectly covered play, and got lucky on a busted coverage play. Such is the nature of being a CB playing a lot of man-to-man. By the way, Smith continues to look like he'll have a long career as one of the best man coverage players in the NFL.

f. I really liked what the Giants did on defense Sunday against Dallas, and I picked them based upon some moves I heard about during the week. For one thing, they moved a good CB, Aaron Ross, to FS, and benched the abysmal C.C. Brown. For another, they took a big-name guy, Osi Umenyiora, out of the starting lineup, and replaced him with Mathias Kiwanuka. Osi struggles against the run, and the Broncos continually ran at him on Thanksgiving night. The Giants correctly identified their top priority as containing the Dallas running game, and made the move to the stouter Kiwanuka.

The effect was that both guys played really well. Umenyiora was actually used quite a bit in coverage, and he did pretty well. He's really a lean, athletic guy, and he did well in that role. He also recovered a key fumble, and returned it for a bunch of yards. The Giants held the Cowboys to 45 yards rushing on 23 carries, and it's the primary reason they won the game.

g. Don't give too much credence to this "Tony Romo/Wade Phillips can't win in December" stuff. Romo, particularly, played pretty well Sunday, and the loss wasn't on him. It was on a few defensive breakdowns which led to big plays, and the aforementioned lack of an effective running game.

Remember the one about correlation not necessarily reflecting causality? There is a real danger to putting too much stock in facts which Peter King insists on incorrectly referring to as factoids. The December record for the Cowboys the past few years is a case in point. It doesn't necessarily foretell what will happen this year, and even if the Cowboys lose a bunch of games this month, it may have nothing to do with the month. Remember, a football game is an independent event, which is comprised of many individual independent events. What happened in the past is meaningless.

h. Another example of this foolishness with meaningless statistics, while we're at it, was any credence being put into the fact that the Broncos were 1-16 all-time in Kansas City, during the month of December. Where to begin with this?

Well, in the most obvious place, of considering the significance of recency. If no players or coaches (or even owners) remain from the time when a game was played, that game has no meaning. A game in 1972 was played between the Chiefs and the Broncos, but not THESE Chiefs and Broncos. A rational person realizes that that game may as well have been between any two teams.

Another idea I had about this, that I wanted to share, harkens back to my days as a Finance major at THE Cleveland State University. There was a required class, Financial Markets and Institutions, which was really a BS class. It was taught by a really overweight, smelly, tenured professor who breathed really heavily, and the dude didn't ever teach anything, ever.

The class met in a computer lab, and consisted of 4 group analysis projects. We were given a bunch of parameters of a hypothetical economic environment, and we had to choose the 3-year period of the last 30 years, which was most predictive of the behavior of whatever financial instrument we were analyzing. We then used data from that 3 year period to analyze and project the performance of that instrument, and built a 6 slide PowerPoint discussing quantitative and qualitative reasons for our analysis. That was a 4 credit class.

Anyway, I was thinking that a reasonable thing to do might be to look into whether there was ever a time in semi-recent history where the two teams profiled like these two do, AND they played a game at Arrowhead in December. I didn't find any instances where the Broncos were a playoff caliber team, the Chiefs were a complete doormat, and the schedule played out this way. You could say I was not surprised at all by Sunday's result.

i. Chris Johnson is very dangerous, but I am not one of these people who is jumping up to call him the best RB in the NFL. For one thing, I think he makes the Titans a finesse running team. They do a ton of zone blocking for him, and he runs to the edges all the time, but without the kind of one-cut decisiveness that Broncos runners have always been coached into employing. Really, Johnson is a bit over-patient, in my opinion, and it's his exceptional burst and speed that let him mostly get away with it. I also continue to have my doubts about Johnson's ability to handle the heavy workload he gets, over a number of years. The Titans would be smart to get a legitimate second guy to take one third of the carries, because they apparently don't think LenDale White is that guy.

j. The Titans blew one on Sunday, and the way they did makes me feel even better about the Broncos' prospects for winning in Indianapolis next week. At halftime, the Titans had 2 more yards, and 6 more minutes of time of possession than the Colts, and Indianapolis led 24-10. The Titans also had 2 turnovers. Nate Washington dropped a perfect deep ball. There were plays available to be made, and the Titans failed to make them.

k. I watched the Steelers debacle against the Raiders, and all I can pin their problems on is missing Troy Polamalu. I think their defensive play-calling is less aggressive without Polamalu, and they're letting QBs have more time to throw the ball than the Steelers are known for doing. Bruce Gradkowski had some real good chances to get the ball downfield at times. It just gets back to the concept of a defense needing all its parts to be effective.

l. This stuff about Gradkowski being the answer for the Raiders is silly. He's a solid backup, and a try-hard guy, but he's not a starter for a winning football team. He lacks accuracy and arm strength, isn't particularly mobile, and just looks kind of underwhelming when you watch him.

m. Everybody knows I am generally not the biggest D.J. Williams lover, and I am going to reveal a closely held secret today, since I wanted to make this a smoker. My main problem with D.J. always has been that he isn't Steven Jackson. Back in 2004, I was fired up for the Broncos to draft Jackson, and a lot of Mel Kipers thought they would. They had just traded Clinton Portis, and I wanted a new RB.

When the Broncos took D.J., I was mad, my brother Chris will tell you. No matter what he ever does, I may not get over it. Anyway, I believe that Jackson is having the best season of any RB in the NFL this season, if you consider his circumstances. He has no QB, no line, not much at WR, and he continues to produce at a very high level. He's still only 26 years old, and he continues to be a great player.

n. Cedric Benson was back to his workhorse ways this week, and Larry Johnson was back to sitting on the bench. I continue to be impressed with the run blocking of Bengals LT Andrew Whitworth. He was a star at LSU, and was believed to be more of a guard, which is why he went in the second round. He has been blowing guys off the ball, though, as a LT. He's been similar to Jake Long, but better this season.

o. Matthew Stafford is clearly a tremendously tough kid, because he's been getting killed every week for the Lions, and he keeps coming back. He has a ways to go from a decision-making perspective, but he has to have the respect of his teammates, and you can't minimize the importance of that to a QB.

p. A lot has been made of the Michael Vick sighting in Atlanta, but the truth of the story is that he played a lot of garbage snaps in a blowout. The best thing you can say about him is that he showed he still has good run skills, and decent throwing skills. He completed both of his throws, but the long ball was kind of a duck thrown into a crowd, where Reggie Brown made a play on the ball. I do think he's going to get a look in a place like Carolina, which has no prospect of drafting a QB early.

q. Some pundit in the ESPN-o-sphere was recently trying to hypopulate that the Falcons were better off with Chris Redman at QB than Matt Ryan. As much of a non-fan of Ryan as I am, that's stupid. There's a good reason Redman was out of the league for more than 3 years, and that it took nepotism from his college coach, Bobby Petrino, to bring him back. He's been solid in some of his appearances, but there's no team in the NFL right now, for whom he is an upgrade over their starter.

r. If you remember back to the 2008 Draft, no WR was selected in the first round, and the first one chosen was Donnie Avery by the Rams. All the draftniks called Devin Thomas the best prospect, and had him going in the first round, and he eventually went one pick after Avery, 34^th.

He's playing fantastic football lately, and his rise really kind of started in the Denver game. Thomas is showing the qualities of a number 1 WR, and whoever his coach is next year, he is really going to benefit from it. Having a big, physical outside player like Thomas opens up the field for a guy like Santana Moss. Washington's recent offensive improvement has a lot to do with the light bulb going on for Thomas.

s. Percy Harvin didn't actually play RB at the University of Florida, and as a UF alum, Cris Collinsworth should know that. Collinsworth was trying to say that Harvin never ran any routes in college, and that couldn't be further from the truth. He didn't exactly run a full tree, but he ran many crossing routes, slants, and go routes. He has incredible run skills for an outside player, but he's a natural WR, make no mistake about it.

t. I hadn't gotten a look at Kurt Warner's wife in awhile, and she seems to have really upgraded her hair-sylist over the years. Back when Kurt won a Super Bowl, she looked like the kind of mom I would see wearing mom jeans, dragging around a bunch of kids at Wal-Mart, if I shopped at Wal-Mart. It's okay to wear mom jeans and shop at Wal-Mart, lest I offend anybody who does, but it's different for the MVP's wife.

u. Do these Gap ads with dancing beautiful people doing cheerleader cadences and wearing plaid make anybody want to go buy plaid clothing? I am interested in marketing and advertising, so if you're a ST&NO reader who finds those ads effective, I'd appreciate you saying so in the comments. My hypothesis is that they don't work well for anybody who reads this column.

v. My other holiday season advertising analysis is as follows: I think the Best Buy caroling store clerks suck, but at least people who watch football tend to buy stuff at Best Buy. I bet they're trying to snag a wife or two with those ads. The Open Hearts collection at Kay Jewelers is of very little interest to the average male football fan, who tends not to care about Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman's mommy's trite advice. Kay ought to stick to their ads which say, "Your wife will give you some incremental action for a couple weeks, if you buy her a diamond. The bigger th diamond, the more action." It communicates the needed psychological message to men better. I do like the Go Forth Levi's ads, and I think they're very effective, vis-à-vis the football watching audience whom they're aired for.

w. The Cardinals are for real, again, and the main reason they are is that they have legitimate stars at every level of their defense. Darnell Dockett has been a star, and Calais Campbell is turning into one at DE. Karlos Dansby is terrific at LB, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Adrian Wilson are both big-time players too. The underrated guy who I like is Antrel Rolle. He was kind of a bust as a first round CB, but he's terrific as a matchup safety. He's very smart, and can match up man-to-man with inside WRs or TEs. He also has excellent ball skills. The Cardinals could beat any team in the NFL on a day where both their offense and defense are clicking, because their personnel is definitely good enough on both sides of the ball.

x. Watching the Packers version of the 3-4 Monday night, I was struck by the difference between what they're doing, and what the Broncos do. Denver's scheme is much more similar to what the Cardinals, Ravens, and Jets are doing, where the pass rush is fairly conservative, and setting the edge and keeping contain responsibilities is often the main concern. If you watch what the outside rushers do for the Broncos a lot of times, they're not coming full-steam at the QB. Elvis Dumervil, Robert Ayers, and Darrell Reid are often asked to do more wrestling with O-Linemen than they are asked to run around people.

The Packers play more like the Steelers, where they're speed rushing off the edge. The point I am getting to is that Clay Matthews is a great fit for what the Packers are asking him to do, where Ayers is more of a fit for the Broncos scheme, despite his lack of sacks. Ayers has just missed a lot of sacks, and with better technique, he'll get there. He's doing a lot more than running around people, though.

y. Jermichael Finley is enormously talented, and is really starting to come into his own for the Packers. You can see that Aaron Rodgers is really developing a lot of trust in him.

z. The Packers are really protecting Rodgers a lot better than they were in the early part of the season. I've been very critical of Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher both over the past two years, but they've been an upgrade over the bums they replaced. Tauscher even caught his first NFL pass on Monday night, off a deflection.

aa. Rodgers is really starting to remind me of Rich Gannon in his Raiders years. He's so calm, and he goes to the right place with the ball all the time, with accuracy. He's playing as well as any QB in the NFL this season if you consider what he is doing independently.

ab. Lardarius Webb is so dangerous returning kickoffs. The Ravens, again, found a gem in the Draft

ac. Everybody knows I am a Joe Flacco fan, but he needs to remember never to throw the ball late down the middle. The officials tried to give the Ravens the game with all those late pass interference penalties and Flacco blew the game with his late interceptions.

4. Most regulars know that I am a Florida Gators fan, so I was pretty disappointed in the result of the SEC Championship game. Alabama deserved to win, because they made every play that was available for them to make. Florida made plays with very few of their opportunities, and that's what happens.

Anyway, nobody can deny that that game was a bonanza of future NFL players. I wanted to share some thoughts on about 10 guys who I think could go in the first 2 rounds in April, from the two schools.

a. Carlos Dunlap DE Florida Top 5

Mel Kiper downgraded Dunlap to 14^th on his Big Board after his DUI, but that's not going to mean anything when he compares favorably to Mario Williams in testing and measurements. His college film is better too, and he can play in any type of front. He and Ndamukong Suh will be the first two defensive players drafted.

b. Joe Haden CB Florida Top 10

Haden is by far the best CB in the nation. His play was a lonely bright spot for Florida, as he shut down the extremely talented Julio Jones. Haden is fast, fluid, smart, strong, and he has excellent ball skills. He compares as a prospect to Darrelle Revis.

c. Terrence Cody NT Alabama Top 20

He's not fat anymore, and he's covering a lot more space laterally than he did a year ago. His athleticism really flashes for such a huge man, and his strength is terrific. He punked Florida into not even trying to run their dive series. I'm a big fan of this guy.

d. Brandon Spikes ILB Florida Top 20

Spikes is not an elite athlete, but he's an elite player. He's downhill all the time in the running game, and he strikes guys as hard as any college player you'll ever see. He's also as naturally gifted and instinctive in pass coverage as Ray Lewis, and he's a similar type of emotional leader. What intrigues me most at the NFL level with Spikes is his natural pass-rushing skills. He really can get after a QB. He'll only run a 4.65 or 4.7, but he'll be an every down player, and make a bunch of Pro Bowls, trust me.

e. Rolando McClain ILB Alabama Top 20

McClain is big, fast, and smart. He's a bit less of a playmaker than Spikes, and more of a cerebral guy than an emotional one. He'll be a very good 3-4 ILB for many years in the NFL.

f. Tim Tebow QB Florida Top 25

Scouts don't like him that much, but coaches love him. Mike Shanahan, Tony Dungy, and Bill Belichick are all on record as thinking he'll be a big-time QB in the NFL. I am pretty sure the Jaguars are going to take him in the first round if he's on the board. Even Florida Governor Charlie Crist (an FSU guy, actually) was in the media Monday calling for it to happen. There is no doubt in my mind that he can play at the NFL level, despite his divergence from norms. He's the second coming of Donovan McNabb to me.

g. Aaron Hernandez TE Florida First Round

Hernandez is a junior, and he's not a huge or great in-line blocker. He's a tremendously gifted receiver though, as good as any who has been draft-eligible in many years. He is extremely dangerous after the catch, which is rare for a guy his size (6-2, 250.)

h. Javier Arenas CB Alabama Second Round

I really like Arenas as a CB, but I love him as a return man. I think he projects as a solid #2 CB, and a Pro Bowl caliber special teams player. His short, stout build works against him as a CB, but for him as a ball carrier.

i. Riley Cooper WR Florida Second Round

Who? He's the tall white guy who has been wearing #11 the past two years. (He wore #86 the first two, when he was primarily a special teamer.) He's been called the fastest Gator in a 60 yard dash, and as Gary Danielson noted on Saturday, nobody seems to be able to cover him, especially when they try to press him. Cooper had his way with Arenas several times, and he dominated Patrick Robinson from Florida State the week before. He's 6-3, 215 pounds, and very strong, which he puts to use in beating press coverage, and he's a dominant blocker outside. He projects as an outside-the-numbers deep threat type, and special teams ace, and when he runs a 4.35 at the combine, he's going to shoot up boards. The only question is if he'd rather play baseball instead (he's part of the Rangers minor league system already.) I think his future is brighter in football.

j. Jermaine Cunningham DE-OLB Florida Second Round

Cunningham projects as a starter at the NFL level, probably as an OLB in a 30 front. He plays much bigger than his size, and takes on blocks well. He kind of reminds me of Mario Haggan, actually.

k. Mike Johnson G Alabama Second Round

This is the type of guy I'd like to see the Broncos take in the second round. He is a strong and experienced drive blocker.

You can add in a few more Gators too, who seem less likely to declare at this moment, if they do. The Pouncey twins, Mike and Maurkice, project as late first or second round picks as interior offensive linemen, and S Major Wright looks like a second rounder to me.

5. I meant to mention this last week too, and I wanted to make the point. Matt Millen was a terrible general manager, but he is an outstanding in-game color analyst. There is nobody on TV who adds more value to a fan's understanding of what is going on than Millen does.

During the Broncos-Giants game, he pointed out how Kyle Orton was calling out the Mike. The average fan doesn't know what a Mike is, so Millen mentioned that it generally means Middle Linebacker. He also went on to mention that the reason Orton is calling out a Mike is to communicate to the protection that that player is the fifth player to account for. A lot of times it was a defensive back, but Orton was communicating who he thought was the most likely fifth rusher.

After the Monday night game, he was talking about how the Packers have shored up their protection, particularly against the double A-gap blitzing that Baltimore loves to do. It's a little bit hard to separate the man from his art, but you have to. He's outstanding on TV, and should be listened to.

My friend Tony from Norwich sent me this link last week, where the Sporting News rated the best sportscasters. I found it interesting, so I thought I'd share it, since it's germane to this rant. I think they have some total losers on their list, primarily Al Michaels, Verne Lundquist, Dan Fouts, and Mike Patrick. Lundquist is the worst play-by-play man ever, if you ask me.

Just prior to the start of the SEC Championship Debacle, Verne was getting down to business. Paraphrasing, he said, "I don't know what Alabama is doing, but Javier Arenas isn't on the field to return this kick." As number 28 warmed up on the TV screen, waiting for the kick to arrive. I threw my Gator hat across the room, and Tweeted:

He misidentifies players constantly, and gets a lot of rules-related topics wrong too. Gary Danielson is excellent, but Verne is a 9,000 ton anchor dragging him down.

6. I got a reader email which forced to be a little introspective last week, and I need to address something real quick, as a result of it. The reader didn't sign the message, but the crux of it was that he/she felt like I am really full of myself, and that that was "repugnant." (Repugnant was his/her actual word.)

I didn't thnk I would ever need to do this, but I am going to explain the central concept of ST&NO, so there's clarity among us all. The premise of this feature, for which I am sure I have written well over 100,000 words during the past year, is that insightful analysis can be, and should be, combined with humor, personality, and entertaining writing. Every week, that's what I try to bring to the table, and I work hard to make this a coherent, continuous, unified narrative, which everybody can feel like they're part of.

Now, I am definitely not known for false humility. What good does it do to pretend to lack self-awareness, for the comfort of insecure people? I know my work is very good, and if I didn't think it was, I think I'd be an A-clown to spend so much time on it. Everybody who does this has some ego about their work, believe me.

Believe it or not, watching 6 games on a Monday night, and then writing for 6 hours after that, after working all day, can get pretty boring and tiresome. It is work, just like what I do in my office all day. I choose to do this work because you, my readers, reaffirm that you want to read it every week. It's not worth the effort to just do it for myself.

Now, understand that I'm not going to change anything, really. Not being Joe Milquetoast is frankly a subtle part of the humor of ST&NO, and it's a true picture of who I am as a person. I'm not at all meek, and I'm not looking to inherit the Earth, or any other damn thing. I'm here to work hard and personally earn what I get. When I say I am a high-talent, high-work ethic accountant, it's because that is a demonstrable fact. You'll recall that I said it as part of a larger point about football and the media environment. I have thought all week about whether I am inappropriately arrogant, and I really think that the answer is no. I think I land in a reasonable place, really, given the givens. So, I am going to keep writing, I am going to keep doing work that I am proud of, and I am going to do it to add value for you, and for future readers who aren't even aware of ST&NO yet. I humbly thank you all for being my readers and commenters, and that was the type of humility that I do value; the genuine kind.

7. Retired for John Elway.

8. Okay, I need to end on a good note, and I am going to bed at 1 AM Cleveland time, on Tuesday morning, so I can think and dream on what that note should be. I'll be back in 5 1/2 hours to finish up, hopefully with a great idea. Ready..... STOP

Okay, I am back. Ready.... BEGIN!!! My alarm wakes me up to the local low-brow morning radio show, Rover's Morning Glory. Through my adventures with the snooze bar, I got to hear a lot of stilted Tiger Woods chatter, because apparently, his wife split, and he had some other blond woman over who left in an ambulance this morning.

He's being an idiot, from the sound of things. I don't know who is advising him; maybe T.O.'s publicist who said he had 25 million reasons to live? Tiger ought to just fess up for everything, like David Letterman. When you're in the mud, you might as well just get everything out there voluntarily, because there's no more incremental damage he could take. If you're Wee-Bey, and you're already going to prison for life for six murders, you might trade copping to a few more for a sandwich. The number ceases to matter, as long as it all comes out now.

Tiger's reputation is fried in this moment, so he might as well say, look, yes, I was out fooling around with a lot of other women. I am not even sure how many, but it was more than several. This is a flaw in my character which I am working hard to overcome. Elin and I appreciate you giving us the benefit of some privacy, as we work through a very hard time in each of our lives. (Then, you quit having women over for awhile, and even if you don't, you make sure none of them leave your house in an ambulance.)

By not deflating the story with an "it was a lot / I have a problem" blanket statement, Tiger is letting each new revelation, by each self-serving former mistress, hurt him individually. Duji, the radio chick, was saying there are 10 who have now been identified. That's really not that many, if you're just a regular guy who is serious about philandering. A very average man could do that in a couple months, pretty easily. If you're Tiger Woods, you could have 10 in about 3 days.

Remember the haters? Well, a lot of people love to hate Tiger. He's there with Roger Federer, Derek Jeter, Tom Brady, and Jeff Gordon in that way, as guys who are so talented, and so polished that relatively untalented and unpolished people are apt to hate them. (Gordon ought to have a Gillette commercial, too. I bet they figure people who like Gordon already use good shaving equipment.) It's really an ugly trait, to root for the failure of the most talented people, but a lot of people do it. Let's drag everybody down to our own level.

Tiger needs to go on Oprah or Letterman (probably Letterman is better, given the circumstances.) If he gets all the way clean, and then disappears off the public radar for a few months, this can be stopped pretty effectively. The TMZ's and their ilk will still try to keep it going, but it will fade pretty quickly when there is no new news. Letterman already isn't being actively cast as a philanderer. Tiger can come back in the spring, with a pre-packaged narrative about how these trying times have caused him to re-invest himself in his golf game, win a few tournaments (people will perceive him to have slipped, even though he was recently playing fine), and turn this into a redemption story. Americans love redemption stories, after all.

That's all I have for this week, friends. Have a great one, and as always, tell me what you think in the comments. ST&NO may be ending for now, but the discussion is just beginning.

The Linc - Vick tops a list, Umenyoria gets demoted, & Georgia Eagles

JasonB — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:00:22 -0000

by Matt Slocum - AP

21 days ago: Bernard Hopkins, left, of Philadelphia, poses with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick after Hopkins' non-title light heavyweight boxing match against Enrique Ornelas, of Mexico, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009, in Philadelphia. Hopkins won in 12 rounds with a unanimous decision. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Homecoming For Five UGA Eagles - Philadelphia Eagles
Michael Vick isn't the only Eagles' player with a homecoming of sorts on tap this Sunday when the team travel south to play the Atlanta Falcons. For Will Witherspoon, Chris Clemons, Sean Jones, Reggie Brown and Max Jean-Gilles, the trip to the Georgia dome will be a return to the state where they played their college football. All five players went to the University of Georgia - the biggest collection of players from one college on the Eagles' roster.

KSMU - Nixa Schools Changing Logo Due To Trademark Concerns
The Nixa Public School district is taking a proactive step to avoid a possible trademark infringement lawsuit. The school’s current eagle athletic logo is identical to the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles logo, with just the colors changed.

Eagles Notes: An opportunity for Reggie Brown
"He's a good player," Avant said, "and I heard one guy say if Reggie Brown is your third or fourth receiver on the team, that group is pretty good. But he's a No. 1 guy no matter where he goes, and he has the opportunity to prove it again."

It appears that Osi's been demoted - NFC East Blog - ESPN
Greetings from Manhattan, where folks are abuzz about the news that Giants Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora may have been demoted for Sunday's game against the Cowboys.

Eagles' penalties; Giants demoting Osi? | Philly | 12/05/2009
Before the season, if I would have predicted that Winston Justice would play well and get a four-year extension, and Umenyiora would get demoted, well, you likely would have stopped reading MTC. Crazy how things play out in this league.

ESPN The Mag: In Vick's own words - NFC East Blog - ESPN
Eagles quarterback Michael Vick showed up at No. 13 on ESPN The Magazine's list of the top 100 stories of the year. In a story from the Dec. 14 issue, Vick opens up about what it's like to have transitioned from prison to the NFL.

Maclin set to start against Bucs

JasonB — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 06:48:05 -0000

With Kevin Curtis still sidelined with a knee injury, rookie Jeremy Maclin will get his second straight start today against the Bucs. In fact, with Curtis' injury not seeming to get any better Maclin has a shot to lock down the starting job permanently.

The coaches aren't publicly admitting that Curtis' career could be seriously jeopardized, but they also aren't ruling out the idea of shutting down the 31-year-old receiver for a lengthy period of time.

"We're looking at that," Eagles coach Andy Reid said Friday in his last press conference of the week. "Our doctors are working on that just to see what we can do to help him get better there."

Beyond Curtis, there doesn't seem to be much competition for the starting job after Maclin. The Eagles seem intent on keeping Jason Avant in the slot, Reggie Brown can barely get on the field, and the other rookie WR Brandon Gibson hasn't played since his impressive preseason.

Eagles activate Michael Vick, release Hank Baskett

JasonB — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:53:29 -0000

More photos » by Mel Evans - AP

If Hank had held onto that pass, would he still be an Eagle? (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

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The Eagles news mill has absolutely been on fire these past few days... Yet another major(somewhat) story has just broken. The Eagles taken Michael Vick off the exempt list and added him to the 53 man roster. To make room, they released WR Hank Baskett.

With just one week left in Vick's suspension, the Eagles obviously felt it was time for him to start practicing with the team. I'm sure the uncertain status of Donovan McNabb for the next week or two played at least some part in that.

As for Baskett, it appears that he was the odd man out in the Eagles' crowded WR corps. It's somewhat surprising to see Baskett, who was active last week, be released before Reggie Brown, who was inactive. That said, if you look at career production Reggie has been the better player. That must be what the Eagles are looking at.

Baskett's perceived potential has always seemed to belie his actual production. Still, he made some big plays here, he blocks, and he works hard on special teams. I have no doubt he'll catch on somewhere. He definitely belongs on an NFL roster.

Eagles vs. Panthers: Blogger Q&A

Jaxon — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:01:31 -0000

More photos » by Matt Rourke - AP

3 months ago: Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook looks onduring practice at the team's NFL football training facility in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009. The Eagles open the season on the road against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Sept. 13. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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Starting with this post every week before a Panthers game I will trade questions with the opposing teams SBN blogger. Week one has me engaging JasonB over at Bleeding Green Nation. You can read his questions to me and my answers here. Also, if you have any additional questions please add them in a comment and I'll try to get Jason or any other Eagles fan to answer them in the thread. So here we go:

Question 1. When talking about the Eagles you have to start with QB Donovan McNabb. Is McNabb still in his prime and does he still have the full confidence of his team and fan base? How should the Panthers keep McNabb from having a good game?

JasonB: Yeah, in fact I'd say this is the most drama free offseason as far as McNabb is concerned that we've had in years. He's coming off two straight healthy seasons, he finished last season well, signed a new contract in the offseason, and seems poised to have a good year.

As far as how to stop him, I'd say you do what you'd do to stop any QB. Bring pressure and make him uncomfortable in the pocket. McNabb has never been one to throw many picks, but he will hold onto the ball too long on occasion. I would also to be efficient with your blitzes. McNabb isn't the same kind of threat to take off an run like he was early in his career, but he's still very elusive in the pocket and very good buying himself a few extra seconds to make a play.

The Panthers beat the Eagles in 2003 on their way to the Super Bowl. Maybe another victory of the Eagles will be the start of another such journey!

Question 2. Ever since the departure of Terrell Owens the Eagles receiving core has had been singled out as the Achilles heel of the offense. How do you think the current receiving unit rates with the additions of DeSean Jackson last season and Jeremy Maclin this year? Will the WR's deliver this season and be a strength on offense?

JasonB: I think it's the best WR corps the Eagles have ever had under McNabb and that includes the year TO was here. Certainly TO is better than any one guy in this group, but from top to bottom I think this year's group is much better. DeSean Jackson set pretty much every Eagles rookie WR record last year, Kevin Curtis had 1,000 yards in this offense just two years ago, Jason Avant has developed into a fantastic 3rd down WR, and now we've added Jeremy Maclin. Maclin certainly still has some learning to do after coming into camp late and playing in a spread offense in college, but there's obviously tons of raw talent there. Add in the fact that the depth of the group includes some decent players like Reggie Brown & Hank Baskett plus a surprise rookie in Brandon Gibson and I think it's a really good group.

McNabb and the passing game will be an early test for the Panther secondary. I've seen McNabb when he is ‘on' and it won't be pretty if the Panthers continue with soft zones and give him time to throw.

Question 3. Stopping RB Brian Westbrook is always a focus of the opposing defense. Is Westbrook healthy and can we expect a full workload from Westbrook? How much will we see of rookie RB LeSean McCoy?

JasonB: Well, they say he's healthy. He says he's healthy. He hasn't played at all in the preseason, but he has been practicing and working out for a couple months. Basically all indications are that he's ready to go and will be given a full load, but until we actually see him take the field finally it's really hard to predict what he'll do.

I think LeSean McCoy will get his touches, maybe 7-10?

Sounds like the path Jonathan Stewart took this preseason. We can only wait to see how both players respond.Fortunately for us Stewart is the back-up versus the starter.

Question 4. Moving to defense the departure of S Brian Dawkins has received a lot of scrutiny. Has he been adequately replaced or so you think the secondary will struggle without him? Who is the leader of the defense now?

JasonB: The Eagles secondary is still pretty talented. They've got really good corners in Samuel. Brown, & Hobbs and they've got a really good strong safety in Quintin Mikell who was a pro bowl alternate & last year. It was announced this week that rookie Macho Harris will start at FS, so that's obviously going to be a question mark. He did play well in preseason, but you never know with a rookie. The interesting thing is that Dawkins spent most of the second half of last year playing 3 safety sets where he would no longer play the centerfield type FS position he always has. He just didn't have the speed for it anymore. So while Macho Harris will play FS, he's not exactly going to play the same role as Dawkins did(and was very effective at) last year. We're not sure if that role will even exist.

The leaders of the defense are the same they were last year. Asante Samuel is a major vocal guy, Sheldon Brown is the elder statesmen, Quintin Mikell handles the press conferences. There's a lot of veterans on that unit and there was never one guy who was the only designated leader. Dawkins was certainly among the leaders.

The Panthers should be targeting the rookie FS Harris with 3 WR sets that split the zones. Let's see if the Panthers can take advantage.

Question 5. Give us a game plan for the Panther offense. How should they attack the Eagles defense to win this game?

JasonB: If I had to pick two things that the Eagles' defense has struggled with at times, its screen passes and throws to the TE. They come hard on the blitz and can be susceptible to those quick slip screens to the backs... and the Eagles' linebackers have struggled to cover TEs for years.

The Panthers have focused on getting the TE down the field and certainly have the RB's to run screens all day long. Sounds like a winning formula to me.

Can the Rams do it with just four receivers?

VanRam — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:08:48 -0000

More photos » by Anonymous - AP

With just four receivers on the roster to open the season, the St. Louis Rams will lean heavily on No. 1 wide receiver Donnie Avery.

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So maybe you had better get used to this four receiver roster after all. As of now, all signs point to the St. Louis Rams opening the regular season in Seattle with just four receivers on the roster. It's been widely expected here and around the interwebs that they would most certainly add a receiver after cutting Nate Jones (and adding him to the practice squad) to clear space for DT LaJuan Ramsey and S Anthony Smith, a move that put them at their current total of just four WRs.

I'm still in benefit of the doubt mode for Spagnuolo and Co.. However, that seems a little risky with Donnie Avery just coming off a broken foot (he did play a couple series against the Chiefs last week though). The payroll might be figuring into the decision at this point, since any veteran WR they pick up now would get his contract guaranteed by being on the opening day roster. Wait a week and they're free to talk turkey with potential additions. They could also be waiting to see what Philly, with seven WRs on the roster, decides to do with Hank Baskett and Reggie Brown.

Let's get to the question of whether or not the Rams need more than four receivers. I think they do, especially given the injury history of Laurent Robinson and Keenan Burton. Do they need a fifth guy in time for the Seattle game? That's another matter. Pat Shurmur's offense calls for plenty of two tight end sets. We'll also be treated to Steven Jackson lining up in the slot or out wide on some plays too, something we did not see in the preseason. Those players could be the key to matchups this week, since Seattle has a pretty good group of linebackers.

Don't expect four receivers to suffice as the season goes on.

When/Will the Rams add another WR?

VanRam — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:42:10 -0000

According to reports, it's believed the Rams waived WR Nate Jones to make room for CB Anthony Smith and DT LaJuan Ramsey. That leaves the Rams roster with just 4 wide receivers, an impossibly low number for the final roster.

Clearly there's another shoe to drop, and that will most likely involve making a move for a receiver.

Eagles WR Reggie Brown remained on the Eagles roster, but it's unlikely they'll keep seven WRs. Of course, there are other possibilities. For that to happen, the Rams will likely need to make another cut of their own. Smith and Ramsey could both be auditioning this week, as well as the other players at those positions. I can't imagine any DT is safe right now other than Clifton Ryan.

More roster moves sure to come.

Philadelphia Eagles 53 man roster by the numbers

JasonB — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 05:35:19 -0000

More photos » by Matt Rourke - AP

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The Eagles have made their cuts and whittled their roster down to 53 men. However, just because those guys survived cut day, doesn't mean they'll actually be on the team come September 13th. Let's look at some positions where changes are still likely to be made.

Wide Receiver - The Eagles currently have 7 WRs on their roster and are only likely to start the season with 6. Desean Jackson, Kevin Curtis, Jason Avant, & Jeremy Maclin are all locks. The guys not guaranteed a spot are rookie Brandon Gibson, Reggie Brown, and Hank Baskett. Since Gibson wasn't cut with the first round and wouldn't be valuable trade bait, it may actually be safe to assume that he made the team. It's likely that the Eagles held onto Reggie and Hank(esp the former) since those guys may have some trade value to fill another spot.

Tight End - The Eagles currently have just two TEs on the roster. That will not be the case for very long as the Eagles will carry a 3rd TE on their roster. Whether it's through trade or free agency, I'm guessing we'll find out who that guy is before the weekend is out. Considering that Tony Curtis was signed just before the preseason game against Jacksonville, the Eagles will go into this season with just one TE(Celek) that was on the roster at least 3 weeks before the season.

Defensive Tackle - After cutting loose Dan Klecko, the Eagles DTs are Broderick Bunkley, Mike Patterson, & Trevor Laws. Two starters and one backup. That said, there's a decent chance that they may not add another DT. The Eagles love rotate DEs inside to DTs on passing downs. Darren Howard, Victor Abiamiri, & Juqua Parker have all done it in the past. Those guys, especially Howard and Abiamiri, could be defacto backup DTs. Last year, it seemed that Darren Howard played more inside than he did outside... I'd look for the Eagles to add a couple DTs to their practice squad just in case.

Quarterback - The Eagles currently have 4 QBs on their roster, but due to an exemption Michael Vick does not count against the 53 man roster. While Vick is on the exempt list he can't practice with the team, so obviously the Eagles will be looking to take him off as soon as possible. I'm sure that over the next day or so they'll be trying to trade A.J. Feeley to make room for Vick. If they can't swing a deal, they'll probably just outright release him.

The Linc - The end for Reggie and AJ?

JasonB — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 15:08:06 -0000

by AJ Mast - AP

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PhillyBurbs.com: Eagles have a new problem at wide receiver
With one preseason game left and final cuts approaching on Saturday, the Eagles find themselves in an unusual spot. A team that for much of this decade never had quite enough receiving talent now has too much.

Birds' Brown Hanging on the Roster Bubble
Two years ago at this time, Reggie Brown was supposed to be on the cusp of stardom. Two years ago, Brown was entering his third NFL season.

Ex-Cowboy Curtis no longer at Witten’s end - The Delaware County Daily Times : Serving Delaware County, PA(DelcoTimes.com)
"I didn’t catch a lot of balls because they didn’t throw me a lot of balls in Dallas," Curtis said at least four or five times as wave after wave of media connected after the game. "I filled a role in Dallas. They needed me to come in and block on certain plays and maybe get a couple of passes here and there. But Jason Witten was the main guy, so he was getting all the balls. I feel like there’s more opportunity there. But whatever team I’m on, I’m going to do whatever I can to help them."

These Eagles will probably not make the cut today -- themorningcall.com
Today is an anxious day for 19 Philadelphia Eagles players. That's because the Eagles will join 31 other NFL teams in cutting their roster to the maximum 53 players by the 6 p.m. deadline.

Eagles cut three; Feeley New England bound? | Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/04/2009
New England, meanwhile, continued to fuel the speculation that they are interested in Eagles quarterback A.J. Feeley by releasing quarterback Andrew Walter. That leaves rookie Brad Hoyer as the backup to Tom Brady. It also leaves the Patriots with two quarterbacks on their roster.

More after the jump including news on a Giants player lost for the season, Didinger's "a game I'll never forget," A report from deep within the swamps of north jersey...

Alford out for season - Big Blue View
New York Giants backup defensive tackle Jay Alford will miss the season with a knee injury.

Didinger's Game I'll Never Forget: The Miracle...
The Eagles vs. Giants in November 1978 will forever be remembered for "The Miracle at the Meadowlands" play.

Iggles Blog - Philadelphia Eagles Blog: Friday Eagles Hangover: Not Bad For The Fourth Preseason Game
A report from deep within the swamps of north jersey...