SB Nation - Quintin Mikell

San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles: A Prospector's Guide

Fooch — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:00:18 -0000

vs.

The 49ers remain on the periphery of the playoff race (I will most definitely NOT say in the thick of it at this point for karma purposes). They find themselves heading into Philadelphia badly in a need of a win in a game that most people don't give them much of a chance in. We've moved past moral victories, so while I won't be stunned by a loss, keeping it close in Philly won't exactly make me happy as a clam.

The 49ers travel to Philadelphia in what will be the 29th meeting between the two teams, with San Francisco holding a 17-10-1 advantage in the series. The 49ers and Eagles have matched up six times this decade, but this week’s game will mark the first in Philadelphia since 2005.

San Francisco enters the upcoming game following a 24-9 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football. In that game, the 49ers defense created 7 turnovers, while RB Frank Gore rushed for 167 yards on 25 carries and one touchdown. TE Vernon Davis leads all NFL receivers with 11 touchdown receptions after registering a 5-yard score from QB Alex Smith against Arizona and is only the 9th tight end in NFL history to record at least 11 touchdown receptions in a season. The NFL record is 13, held by TE Antonio Gates (2004).

Last week’s contest marked the third week in a row that the 49ers defense had posted at least 4 sacks in a game. San Francisco now ranks tied for 7th in the NFL with 34 sacks and a +6 turnover ratio. The 49ers 18 forced fumbles rank tied for 1st in the NFL in 2009 and are tied for the most by the team in a single season (1996 - 18), dating back to 1992.

49ers-Eagles Connections
Coaching Connections
• Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhingweg was the 49ers offensive coordinator and QBs coach from 1997-2000. In 1998, the 49ers became the first team since the 1941 Chicago Bears to lead the league in gross passing and rushing yards thanks in large part to Mornhinweg’s guidance. Mornhinweg attended Oak Grove HS in San Jose, where he was the Northern California POY and an all-state performer.
• 49ers secondary coach Johnnie Lynn and Eagles WRs coach David Culley coached together with the Tampa Bay Bucs from 1994-95.

FORMER EAGLES - Offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye was on the Eagles roster in 1969 ... Pass rush specialist coach Al Harris played with the Eagles for two seasons (1989-90) ... SS Michael Lewis was drafted by the Eagles in the 2nd round in 2002 and played in Philadelphia for 5 years. He earned a Pro Bowl invitation in 2004 ... LB Takeo Spikes spent the 2007 season with the Eagles, starting 14 games ... Strength and conditioning coach Duane Carlisle served as the Philadelphia Eagles speed development consultant from 2000-04. Carlisle also coached at
Penn State from 1989-92 ... Director of pro personnel Tom Gamble entered the NFL as an assistant for the Eagles player personnel department in 1996. He is the son of former Eagles president Harry Gamble and was born in Cherry Hill, NJ ... Area scout Todd Brunner first joined the Eagles as a scouting intern in 1992 and worked as a scouting assistant in 1993.

FORMER 49ERS - CB Joselio Hanson, a native of Playa del Rey, CA, was originally signed by the 49ers as a rookie free agent in 2003 and appeared in 13 games for the 49ers.

49ERS PENNSYLVANIA CONNECTIONS - RB Michael Robinson played collegiate football at Penn State ... CB Shawntae Spencer is from Rankin, PA ... Rookie LB Scott McKillop hails from Monroeville, Pennsylvania.

EAGLES NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CONNECTIONS - Head Coach Andy Reid spent time as the offensive coordinator at San Francisco State from 1983-85 ...TE coach Tom Melvin is a native of Redwood City, CA, and began his coaching career at San Francisco State from 1982-85 and attended Cubberley HS in Palo Alto ... Special assistant/defense Brian Stewart served as defensive backs coach at San Jose State (1997-98) ... WR DeSean Jackson played at Cal and is a native of Long Beach, CA ... TE Alex Smith lettered at Stanford from 2001-04.

PLAYER CONNECTIONS
• 49ers DT Justin Smith and Eagles G/T Stacy Andrews were teammates with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2004-07.
• 49ers DT Demetric Evans was a teammate of Eagles DE Chris Clemons and LB Jeremiah Trotter for the Redskins (2004-05).
• 49ers LB Parys Haralson and Eagles LB Omar Gaither were teammates at Tennessee from 2002-05.
• 49ers G Chilo Rachal played at USC with Eagles DT Mike Patterson and T Winston Justice.

Series Highlights
Matchups: 28
Series Record: 49ers lead series 17-10-1
49ers Away Record vs. Eagles: 49ers Lead Series 9-3-1
First Meeting: 10/6/51, Eagles win, 21-14, at Philadelphia
Last Meeting: 10/12/08, Eagles win, 40-26, at San Francisco
Current Streak: Lost 3
Longest 49ers Win Streak: 5 (9/23/84 - 11/29/92)
Longest Eagles Win Streak: 3 (9/18/05 - Present)
Most 49ers Points: 38 (Two Times), Last: 38-28, at ~~San Francisco~~ Philadelphia
Most Eagles Points: 42 (9/18/05), 42-3, at San Francisco
49ers Shutouts: 1 (12/29/96), 49ers win 14-0, at San Francisco
Eagles Shutouts: None

PHILADELPHIA 40, SAN FRANCISCO 26
At ~~Glendale, AZ~~ Philadelphia, PA, October 20, 2008

The Philadelphia Eagles forced 3 turnovers during a 23-point 4th quarter of a 40-26 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. CB Donald Strickland returned a blocked FG 41 yards for aTD on the final play of the 1st half and the momentum carried into the 3rd quarter when the 49ers scored 10 points to take a 26-17 lead.

After the Eagles rallied back to take a 27-26 lead with 7:38 left to play, the 49ers next three drives ended in turnovers that set up scores for Philadelphia. S Quintin Mikell intercepted a QB J.T. O’Sullivan pass and returned it to the San Francisco 7-yard line to set up a short FG. On the next series, Eagles DE Trent Cole forced a fumble on a sack of O’Sullivan, allowing Philadelphia to recover at the San Francisco 20-yard line to set up another short FG for a 33-26 lead with 1:10 left. San Francisco got past midfield on the next drive when O’Sullivan connected with WR Josh Morgan on a 25-yard gain, but two plays later with 48 seconds to play, O’Sullivan was picked off by DE Juqua Parker, who returned it 55 yards for a score to seal the 40-26 win.

Philadelphia QB Donovan McNabb threw for 280 yards and 2 TDs while RB Correll Buckhalter, playing in place of an injured Brian Westbrook, had 93 yards rushing and 85 yards receiving. Philadelphia took a 7-6 1st quarter lead and then added 10 points in the 2nd quarter for a 17-6 lead. PK Joe Nedney hit a 53-yard FG with 34 seconds to play, but Philadelphia moved to the San Francisco 36-yard line with one second remaining on the clock before halftime. The Eagles sent PK David Akers on to the field to attempt a 54-yard FG DE Ray McDonald blocked the kick, and Strickland scooped up the loose ball and ran 41 yards for the score to make it a 17-16 game at the half. RB Frank Gore had his second 100-yard game of the year with 101 yards on 19 attempts.

2009 Statistics

49ERS (rank)		EAGLES (rank)
6-7 (2nd NFCW)	Record	9-4 (1st NFCE)
20.7 (18th)	Points per game	28.6 (3rd)
288.6 (27th)	Total Offense	360.2 (11th)
98.8 (24th)	Rushing Offense	106.1 (19th)
189.8 (22nd)	Passing Offense	254.1 (10th)
29:31 (16th)	Possession Avg	28:30 (25th)
18.6 (8th)	Points allowed/gm	21.0 (t-16th)
338.6 (18th)	Total Defense	320.1 (10th)
95.0 (5th)	Rushing Defense	101.5 (10th)
243.6 (27th)	Passing Defense	218.6 (18th)
34 (t-7th)	Sacks	36 (t-4th)
47.8 (2nd)	Punting Avg (Gross)	41.7 (27th)
+6 (t-7th)	Turnover Differential	+15 (3rd)

5 questions with ... 'Bye, Dawk :(:'

Ed Valentine — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:00:27 -0000

OK. You guys asked for an interview with 'Bye, Dawk:(:', and now you've got it. Our favorite Philadelphia Eagles fan (now, there is maybe the strangest phrase I have ever typed) graciously agreed to answer five questions from me. So, here is our interview.

Big Blue View: Obviously, you're an Eagles fan. Yet, you spend a lot of time at BBV, and you have actually become a valued member of the community. Why are you spending so much time sleeping with the enemy, so to speak?

Bye, Dawk:(:"There are many things my father taught me here in this room. He taught me: Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."

- Michael Corleone

Big Blue View: The Eagles have beaten our Giants three times in a row. Giants fans will never say, oh, the Eagles are just better. Never. Not buying it. But, is there something you see as a reason why the recent matchups have gone Philly's way.

Bye, Dawk:(: Before I answer that question, I'll point out that the 3 games prior to our latest 3-game run were won by the Giants, but I digress.

This might be oversimplifying it, but in each of the past 3 games, the Eagles won the 1st Quarter. Let's throw out this year's game, which wasn't really a contest and focus on last year's games. Last year the Giants played extraordinarily well with the lead all season. They simply bullied teams once they got ahead, as evidenced by their 5.0 yards per carry and 157 yards per game in 2008. In the 2 games the Eagles beat the Giants last year, they won the 1st Quarter, kept their defense off the field, and the Giants only put up 88 and 138 rushing yards, both below their average. In the game the Giants won last year, they grabbed an early lead and bullied the Eagles for 219 yards on the ground, as well as a difference of 39:10 to 20:50 in time of possession. The Giants' run game this year is a far cry from their dominance of a year ago, but I think some of that is offset by the emergence of Steve Smith and the rest of the Giants' young receivers' ability to move the chains. I know I'm really going out on a limb here, but I think whoever wins the 1st Quarter, wins the game.

Big Blue View: OK, the question I love to ask. Which Giants player would you love to see in Philly's lineup, and why?

Bye, Dawk:(: "The Nobody," Justin Tuck. His biggest strength is his versatility to excel at every position along the D Line, which is a trait highly valued by the Eagles. He stops the run, he can rush the passer outside, he can rush the passer inside from the DT spot, and he's one of the most disruptive forces in the NFL - he's almost like a poor man's Reggie White (and I mean that as a compliment). I'll take it this far... If the Eagles had the option to steal any defensive player from the entire NFC East, it wouldn't be a no-brainer to take Demarcus Ware - I'd give really strong consideration to Tuck. Obviously, this has been a bit of a down year for Tuck due to injuries, but I'll give him a pass.

Tuck, Patterson, Bunkley, Cole - That would be scary.

Big Blue View: The way it is shaping up, out of Dallas, Philly and the Giants one of those teams is not making the playoffs. Which one, and why?

Bye, Dawk:(: Agreed, it looks like it'll be 2 of the 3, and Green Bay. Ugh, tough call. The team that loses our matchup is in trouble, but even still, I think it's Dallas. Their schedule is downright dirty:

San Diego - 6-game win streak, extremely talented offense.
@ New Orleans - Best team in the NFL right now (apologies to Indy) playing in maybe the loudest stadium, and the Saints won't have home field advantage throughout the playoffs wrapped up yet by gametime, so this one will still mean something to them.
@ Washington - For the rest of the season, Washington is my 2nd favorite team. In their past 3 games, they dominated the Cowboys for 58 minutes and only lost because of their kicker, they outplayed the Eagles for a good portion of that game and lost in the final minutes, and they had New Orleans all but finished, but again, the kicker. I'd want no part of this team. Wait, who do the Giants play next week?
Philly - Gotta love the football gods' sense of humor.

Big Blue View: Your feelings on Andy Reid? I think Philly fans fall in and out of love with Reid all the time, and it looks like you are going to have him around for a while. You OK with that?

Bye, Dawk:(: Count me in as one of those love/hate guys, but yes, I'm absolutely OK with Big Red sticking around for a while. He's the Eagles' all time franchise leader in wins, winning percentage, & playoff victories. He gameplans for opponents extremely well, and he along with Tom Heckert have done an outstanding job assembling a really talented, young team. The Anti-Andyites (myself included on occasion) will point to his playcalling and time management as his major weaknesses, and while I disagree to an extent on the playcalling, there's absolutely no defending some of his time management gaffes.

But Andy Reid's merits/detriments aside, I'm a firm believer in continuity, and despite the lack of that elusive Lombardi trophy it's been a great decade of Eagles football under Reid.

Big Blue View: Bonus question: Your prediction for Sunday?

Bye, Dawk:(: I actually typed 19-17 Giants, with Barry Cofield blocking a late long FG attempt and the Giants bleeding out the final 3 minutes because the Eagles have no timeouts left. However, I tried to hit the send button on my e-mail, but my computer threatened to explode and take me out with it if I did, sooooo...

20-19 Eagles. Akers drills the late FG, and Quintin Mikell seals it with a pick.

Many thanks to 'Bye, Dawk:(:' for playing along and being willing to do this. Eagles fan or not, 'Dawk,' you're welcome here any time. Of course, when you show up on Monday we sure hope it's to congratulate the Giants instead of crow about the Eagles.

(E-mail Ed at bigblueview@gmail.com)

What they're saying - Eagles beat Redskins

JasonB — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:00:44 -0000

by Matt Slocum - AP

18 days ago: Philadelphia Eagles' Jeremy Maclin, center, pulls in a pass as Washington Redskins' Carlos Rogers defends in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, in Philadelphia. Philadelphia won 27-24. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

View full size photo »

Andy Reid on the back to back comeback wins

I'm proud of the guys for battling through. When you play these NFC East teams, especially this one here (Washington), last year we did not beat them. We went down (to Washington) at about this time of the year, and we had momentum and everything else going and we didn't play very well and came out on the other end of this. So I'm proud of the guys battling through and doing what they had to do. (Washington head coach) Jim (Zorn) is keeping that team together and they battled the same way against the Cowboys as they battled against us. They battled their hearts out."

Jeremy Maclin talked about the big catch he made on the winning drive

"It felt good. First, to know that (QB) Don (Donovan McNabb) had the confidence to throw the ball to me, especially after (WR) Jason (Avant) came up big today. It felt good to go out there and make the play, just being reliable to your quarterback."

Speaking of that catch... Redskins rookie CB Kevin Barnes, who was defending Maclin on that play, gave credit to McNabb.

I would've had an interception," Barnes said. "It was just a great ball by McNabb, to the outside foot of Maclin. If it had been anywhere else I would've intercepted it."

Much more after the jump

Donovan McNabb was asked to repeat what he said to the team before the the drive that tied the game

"I can't do that. That wouldn't go well in the paper. You know, I think really when you reflect on what happened in the third quarter it was mainly miscues, mistakes and just making sure we were all on the same page. I thought our receivers did a great job of just trying to create separation and if it was just one half second or whatever it may be, just making sure the offensive line was on the same page and at times I thought there were plays that we should have made that either maybe I could have brought the ball in a little bit more or we dropped the ball. But you know what, it's not really how you start, it's how you finish. And I thought this team really came together and was able to pull it out the way it was supposed to be done and the guys stepped up and made big plays for us."

Jeremiah Trotter singled out Tracy White for praise

Tracy White has always done a great job. He's stepped in when we've called upon him. Last week he was batting the balls down, and this week on third down on the big screen play. He's a guy that isn't just a special teams player because when he comes in on defense he always performs. He's doing a great job."

Leonard Weaver talked about the message he wanted to send to the Eagles sideline

"I was kind of letting them know, 'Let's continue to keep running it.' When you get down there (near the goal line), it's something that we've kind of struggled with, and I take pride in that because a lot of that is on me. So I was just saying, 'Hey let's keep running that thing.' And we finally got it in there. (It was) no frustration with getting the ball. I think I toted it a little bit today, and I'm pretty happy. I'm pretty content right now."

LeSean McCoy on the shovel pass that led to the 2 pt conversion

We do a lot of stuff out of that formation, mostly passing. We figured they would think it's a pass. They actually got a lot more penetration than we expected. They kind of rushed McNabb so much, and he just pitched it, it kind of got my defender to come around and it opened up for me. We did a great job and got it in there."

Jason Avant was asked about the 90 yard drive that tied the game

We don't think about it like that. Football is instinctive. We go out there and just think one play at a time. We don't think about having to go 90 yards. We think about getting the first first down. Everything begins to happen when guys make plays. Donovan was accurate and some guys stepped up, Jeremy made a couple big plays, and we got a win."

Quintin Mikell talked about the mentality of the defense heading into that final drive

"We were going to make sure we won the game. Everybody was hyped up. We knew that this was it and, as a defensive player, if we want to be considered one of the better defenses in the league and in Eagles history, we've got to come out on top in this kind of situation. So, we were excited for that."

Gameday Lincs - Eagles vs Cowboys

JasonB — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:00:36 -0000

via cdn2.sbnation.com

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PhillyBurbs.com: Under Andy Reid, Eagles own Cowboys
Andy Reid has probably told the story a dozen times since he got here a decade ago. He was at McDonald's near the NovaCare Complex picking up breakfast soon after becoming the Eagles' head coach when an 80-something woman cornered him and said that nothing else mattered, "Just beat the (expletive) Cowboys." And he has. Reid has defeated the Cowboys more than any coach in NFL history.

NFL Preview - Dallas (5-2) at Philadelphia (5-2) - Football - MiamiHerald.com
Sole possession of first place in the NFC's East Division will be on the line when the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles renew their spirited rivalry with a Sunday night showdown at Lincoln Financial Field to highlight the Week 9 schedule.

Keys to winning: Dallas Cowboys must avoid Eagles' Sheldon Brown
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo hasn't thrown an interception in three games, the first time he has ever done this in his short starting career. To continue that streak, he'll have to throw away from Sheldon Brown, who has 21 tackles and 3 interceptions, while having the lowest completion rate against him of any other cornerback in the NFL.

Final Word: NFC East - NFC East - ESPN
The Cowboys believe they can attack the Eagles' defense in the middle of the field. I just returned from Valley Ranch, where two Cowboys offensive players said they thought the middle of the Eagles' defense would be vulnerable. In particular, the Cowboys believe Eagles safeties Sean Jones and Quintin Mikell could leave some holes in that area of the field.

More after the jump

S.A.'s Demps overcoming ‘growing pains' with Eagles
Eagles free safety Quintin Demps' first career interception couldn't have come at a better time for the Roosevelt graduate. In addition to sparking a scoring drive, his theft of an Eli Manning pass in last week's 40-17 thumping of the Giants restored Demps' confidence in himself. "It let me know that I still got it," Demps said.

Dallas Cowboys Blog - Cowboys-Eagles key matchups - ESPN Dallas
We'll look at one matchup from both sides of the ball:

Brent Celek earning status as an elite tight end in NFL -- latimes.com
For years, the Philadelphia Eagles didn't have to look far to find some of the best receiving tight ends in football. They just had to glance around the NFC East -- Chris Cooley in Washington, Jason Witten in Dallas and Kevin Boss with the New York Giants. Now, the Eagles have one of their own.

Steve Young: Cowboys/Eagles Preview - ESPN Video - ESPN
Steve Young: Cowboys/Eagles Preview

Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid knows how to beat the Dallas Cowboys
Of all the coaches throughout the history of the NFL -- from Hall of Famers Vince Lombardi and Joe Gibbs to Don Shula and Bill Parcells -- guess who has beaten the Dallas Cowboys more than anyone else? If you said Andy Reid, go get a glass of pickle juice and start the game with an onside kick.

What they're saying - Eagles over Giants

JasonB — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:35 -0000

Andy Reid was asked whether he had planned to give Leonard Weaver as many carries as he got

"We did. We really weren't sure about (RB) Brian (Westbrook). As the week went on, one day he was feeling pretty good, but then he'd wake up and he wasn't feeling too good. I wasn't sure exactly during the week whether (Westbrook) was going to be able to go or not, but we had Weaver ready just in case. Actually we thought that we might be able to get (RB Eldra) Buckley a couple of carries, but as it worked out, it wasn't until the end that we were able to do that. We thought we could mix it up a little bit if Brian (Westbrook) wasn't able to go."

That was news to Weaver

"It was kind of a shock at first," Weaver said. "During the week, I really didn't run the ball. It felt good to know that Andy Reid and [offensive coordinator] Marty [Mornhinweg] would trust me in that way and trust me enough to give it to me a couple times."

Giants LB Antonio Pierce summed things up well from a Giants' perspective

"It's a complete embarrassment and disappointment," said linebacker Antonio Pierce after the game. "We didn't tackle, we gave up big plays, we didn't cover. We're not communicating. We all have to look at each other in the mirror and we all have to make a change, because what we're doing right now is not working."

Much more after the jump

Eli Manning on Asante Samuel's interception

"He just jumped it. He's an aggressive player and he jumps some things. On that route, I went to the right place [and] threw to the right read. I've just got to see him. He's on a tight end, he's going to cheat. Whether he just knew the route was coming or just read my body or just read the tight end's route… Just knowing, 'Hey, I've got a tight end here, I can try to jump this route.' And so he jumped it. I saw it late, and he made a play."

Ellis Hobbs had his best game returning kicks so far in an Eagles uniform. He talked about the value of strong special teams.

"(They can) help the momentum swing. When you look over to the sideline and you see the opposing team just drop and the coach is over there trying to clap everybody up and get them going for the specific reason of, it takes the breath out of you. (It's) almost like getting side punched, you know you don't see it coming because on special teams you think everything is supposed to happen naturally. Tackle the man and then the defense or offense comes out, but when a big play happens it kind of takes the life out of you a little bit and kind of makes you fumble a little bit. We did a good job making them fumble today."

Darren Howard on whether he thought the Giants were surprised by what transpired.

Maybe a little bit. It's definitely not the Giants to think that they would come in and give up 40 points on defense. Definitely I think they are shocked and they now have some things to work out and we have to go up there and play them again, so I'm looking forward to that rematch."

Giants Coach Tom Coughlin explained(tried to at least) his puzzling use of timeouts in the waning moments of the blowout.

"My belief is that you have to use whatever you've got, whatever your tools are, you use them. Message to my team: we're going to fight to the very end and that's all there is to it."

LeSean McCoy talked about his big TD run.

Lately, when I have been running, I have been stuttering a little bit and (RB) Brian (Westbrook) has been coaching me up to just hit the hole and make my move down the field. I just hit it and the line opened up a huge hole. The line played great today. They gave me options; I took it and outran the defense."

Quintin Mikell talked about the defense's plan coming into the game

"I think the main thing we needed to do was stop the run game. Their whole offense is based off the run, so stop the run. We did a good job with that and then we got after (Giants QB) Eli (Manning)."

Finally, Donovan McNabb talked about big plays.

"Well, offensively it's always big when you can spread it around. I think being able to establish the run game and the screen game opens up a lot of things, and the play action game and the drop back game and vice versa. I thought today we were very balanced, (and had) a way of attacking their defense, knowing that they like to blitz at times. They'll sit back in the zone to challenge you to see what you're doing. We were able to pick up big plays all throughout the drives, which led to touchdowns for us."

The Linc - Broad Street vs Broadway

JasonB — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:17:05 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

about 1 month ago: Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, right, runs with the ball after taking a handoff from quarterback Donovan McNabb during NFL football practice at the team's workout facility, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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New York Giants news and notes: Bradshaw has cracked bone in foot - Big Blue View
New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw admits having cracked bone in foot.

Is this the game Reid breaks out the Wildcat? - NFC East - ESPN
Truth be told, I'm a little embarrassed the Beast made at least three trips to Philly to document the Michael Vick-Wildcat experiment. Now that we're six games into the Eagles season, it's tough determine why the organization went to so much trouble to sign the former Pro Bowler and convicted dog fighter.

Birds' Brown Says Blitz Should Slow Down Smith
"Smith – ever since he came into the league, he’s always done well," safety Quintin Mikell said. "He’s getting a bigger piece of the offense now, and he’s looking really good. Manningham – he’s coming along well. He’s had a couple of drops here and there, but he’s still very dangerous. Their whole receiving corps is dangerous. We’ve got our work cut out for us in the back end."

Les Bowen: Eagles rookie McCoy needs to show up vs. Giants | Philadelphia Daily News | 10/30/2009
EVERYWHERE you saw LeSean McCoy yesterday, you saw running-backs coach Ted Williams - Velcroed to the rookie's side, explaining and advising on the way to the NovaCare cafeteria, going over something one more time during a break in practice.

Paul Domowitch: Witherspoon seems to be real deal for Eagles | Philadelphia Daily News | 10/30/2009
AS TRADE heists go, it's not quite on the same level as the Phils' August theft of Cliff Lee from the Cleveland Indians. But if the Eagles make it to the playoffs again this year, we may look back on last week's acquisition of linebacker Will Witherspoon as The Deal That Saved The Season.

FYI: Brian Dawkins is still awesome

JasonB — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:00:40 -0000

The man still bleeds green.

The sweat had barely dried on his skin when Brian Dawkins sent Quintin Mikell a text message Sunday. Denver had just beaten Dallas after the Broncos' defense denied Tony Romo a couple of strikes into the end zone. Dawkins was pumped, as the television cameras showed.

He still hates the Cowboys. And he still loves the Eagles.

You're welcome, Dawkins texted his former protégé. You're welcome.

He had a message for Eagles fans as well.

"Make sure you tell those Philly fans hello," Dawkins said, "and you're welcome."

I still am not down for posting pics of #20 in orange...

What they're saying - Eagles win over Chiefs

JasonB — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:03:15 -0000

More photos » by Mel Evans - AP

2 months ago: Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek, from left, runs in for a touchdown as Kansas City Chiefs safety Mike Brown and defensive end Tamba Hali defend in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, in Philadelphia. Philadelphia won 34-14. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Browse more photos »

The quote of the week has to come from Chiefs safety Mike Brown.

"We prepared, but you can't simulate the way they do it," said strong safety Mike Brown. "They kicked our [butts] today. That's the bottom line. Just think if they had [Donovan] McNabb and [Brian] Westbrook. They've got some Pro Bowl players over there."

Kevin Kolb on the experience of starting the past two games

"Well, it's just confidence that you can get it done at this level in a game-time situation in the regular season. And although you believe it before, nobody truly knows. And that's why there's so much doubt in the air always with a young player. Hopefully I'll put the past behind me with the mistakes I made before. We can move on with what went on today and I just don't want to relax now. I want to just keep trying to get better in practice, if I'm not getting the game reps then just keep getting better in practice and keep pressing."

Michael Vick on how he thought he played

"I think I played fairly well. I think I made good decisions with the plays that I had. I missed one ball across the middle. I feel like I could have hit that. I guess I just have to make sure I keep my arm warm on the sideline so when I go in there I'm not cold. Other than that, I made good decisions with the ball. My focus primarily was to be smart and not turn the ball over."

Much more after the jump including Quintin Mikell, Randall Cunningham, Omar Gaither, Todd Haley, Jamaal Jackson, & Michael Vick.

Quintin Mikell was asked whether the embarassment against New Orleans was a factor in how they played yesterday

"You know, it was kind of one of those things when you say: 'Okay, by Tuesday, you watch the film and it's over with' but everyone in there today I can guarantee you was still thinking about what happened last week. We don't want that to happen again, so we had to go out there and gain our respect back; we had to go out there and get our swagger back. And I feel like we did it."

Randall Cunningham spoke about being inducted into the Eagles honor roll

"I'm very honored that Mr. Lurie would consider me. To be able to get into the Honor Roll is a blessing. I went out and saw some of the guys that have been inducted, and it was great to see Jerome Brown and Reggie [White] and other players, but to go in with Al [Wistert] is awesome because I'm 46, and to be sitting here with Al is just a pleasure. I think about my son being able to be here. If you guys remember during the Dallas playoff game, we were having him and I didn't get to go to practice, but now he gets to share in this with my daughters Vashti and Grace, and my sons [Christian and Randall] who are in the other room along with my brother [former NFL running back] Sam-Bam [Cunningham], and with my wife [Felicity] and my aunt.. It's a pleasure just to come back to Philadelphia and to step on the field with Al. It's an honor to receive something like this. This is my Hall of Fame. I'm satisfied now."

Omar Gaither was a little puzzled by the Chiefs' game plan when they were down big

"(RB Larry) Johnson is their workhorse. Honestly, I was surprised a little bit. They run the ball a lot but they ran the ball much more than I thought they would with the score being what it was."

Chiefs' HC Todd Haley explained why the team kept running the ball despite being blown out

"I think to be the team that we want to be we are going to have to be able to run the ball even when they have too many up there. We are trying to win the game, but at the same time we are trying to establish an identity around here. Three yards of rushing offense at halftime, to me, is unacceptable. It was not something that I thought at the time I could let go at the wayside with our offense. Again, we are trying to establish an identity around here. You can call it conservative if you want. I think it had a purpose as far as myself and the team goes, and I will leave it at that."

Eagles' C Jamaal Jackson didn't like WR Desean Jackson's front flip into split end zone celebration

"I told him, 'Great run, but let's try to exhibit some professionalism,' " the Eagles' center said. "There's nothing wrong with a little celebration, but once you put your body at risk, that's when you want to take a step back and look at the big picture. There's nothing wrong with just handing the ball to the ref."

Finally, Michael Vick said that what we saw from him in the wildcat is just the start...

"We have so much still for the future," Vick said. "We just wanted to go out there and get some looks and see how they were going to play and not tip our hand to what we really wanted to do with this Wildcat thing. We've got a lot of different variations and it's going to be exciting, and I just want to contribute."

New Orleans Saints 48 @ Philadelphia Eagles 22: Who Dat Say!?

Saintsational — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:00:41 -0000

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wwltvsports Saints first team since 2001 to open season with 2 40 point games

NFLfootballinfo Darren Sharper today became only the 5th player in NFL history with 9 career interception return touchdowns.

wwltvsports Brees: Kolb did a good job in a tough situation

saints83 Who Dat!!!! Well 2&0 and looked good vs a good team.. Congrats boyz

jeffduncantp Payton said initial diagnosis for Bell is just a sprain.

ChaseDaniel How bout them Saints!!!

jeffduncantp Just back from locker room. The Saints obviously were in good moods. But not overly celebratory. Seem to have a good read on things.

reggie_bush Great win for the Saints in one of the toughest places to play! God is good!

jeffduncantp Drew Brees: "I'd say our confidence is way higher than it was in '06. ...Believe it or not, I'd say that we can still get a lot better."

SupaFreak69 2-0 need i say any mo...who dat!!!

jeffduncantp Hearing Bell sufferered MCL sprain, same injury as .Thomas had. Recovery time varries depending on severity. Could be 2 weeks, could be 6.

jeffduncantp The Saints' handed Eagles their 2nd worst loss ever at the Linc, dating to a 42-0 drubbing to Seattle in 2005. Eagles were 34-19 @ stadium.

ltorrence24 Saints flying high @ the airport now! Who Dat! 2-0 !

MalcolmJenkins Feeling good after the win... bout to head back to NOLA .... Who Dat!!!

NFLfootballinfo With 9 TD passes through 2 games, Drew Brees ties Charley Johnson (1965, St. Louis) for NFL record for most TD passes in 1st 2 games of year

miketripletttp You have permission to get excited, Saints fans. This is the kind of game that tripped them up in the past, but they ran away with it.

ltorrence24 Thanks to all you fans who came out to greet us at the airport just now! Wow! Had to have been a few hundred out there! Who dat!

Pierre_Thomas Who Dat! Our squad is something serious, we're in for one exciting year! Great win today, back to work tmro

JeremyShockey thx for all the comments!!! left alot of plays on the field .. gnight.. GOD BLESS.. WHO DAT!!!1

robyslyfe It feels so good to be back, this is a special TEAM. Who Dat!!!!!

Linkage

New Orleans Saints running back Mike Bell upbeat despite knee injury - Times-Pic

"It’s definitely not an ACL," insisted Bell, who said he was "more scared than anything else" when he went down with the injury, then limped off the field with help from the training staff. "I think I could have gone back in."

-Mike Bell

"I think they really wanted to see how I was feeling, get me in on special teams and see how I reacted," Thomas said. "I felt pretty good. I’m just getting used to that brace. That brace is kind of big."

-Pierre Thomas

"Oh, no doubt. No doubt," Thomas said. "Whenever they call my name, I’m stepping up."

-Pierre Thomas

"I wasn’t frustrated at all. We were winning. We were playing well, and we were beating a team that’s tough to play, on the road," said Bush, who was booed at the Superdome in Week 1 after fumbling two punt returns, one of which was recovered by the Detroit Lions. "So really it’s not about me, it’s about the team first. I always try to remember that. As a competitor you want to be in there making plays, but I think in games like this, you’re just happy to come out with a win."

-Reggie Bush

"I know that I can run between the tackles," said Bush, who made a nifty cutback to his left at the line of scrimmage to break free, then made cornerback Sheldon Brown miss in the open field. "It’s just a matter of opportunities. So I don’t listen to those things. I know what I can and can’t do."

-Reggie Bush

"I think we played it all right, but I think we definitely could have played it better,"

-Will Smith

"I wasn’t going down," said Sharper, who wasn’t able to score on either of his interception returns in Week 1 against Detroit. "I might’ve gotten caught, but luckily I was able to keep my legs up."

-Darren Sharper

"During the week, he said he didn’t believe I can take one back to the house," Sharper said. "So I had to prove him wrong."

-Darren Sharper, on Coach Payton buying him dinner

Grading the New Orleans Saints' performance against the Philadelphia Eagles - Times-Pic

All systems go for New Orleans Saints in 48-22 win over Philadelphia Eagles - Times-Pic

"Losing the way we did last season, we felt like we had to come up with something that is pertinent to our team, especially after last year. When you're 0-5 in games that were decided by one, two, three points, we definitely have to 'finish' games this season. We have to recognize it, understand it and do it.

"Today we did that. Hopefully, there'll be more to come."

-Jonathan Vilma

"The score right before halftime was important because it was kind of a cat-and-mouse game with field position, " Payton said. "We used our timeouts with the hope that we would get a chance to get the ball back, and we did. Then, Drew did a good job running the two-minute (offense) and taking advantage of that possession."

-Sean Payton

"What has gone from a tie game to all of a sudden is a three-possession game in a matter of five minutes, " Brees said. "Those are game-changing types of deals."

-Drew Brees

"We knew their ball security wasn't as good as it needed to be and we felt we could get some balls out, " Jenkins said. "I was in his blind spot and I just made a play for the ball. It was a huge momentum shift coming out of the locker room."

-Malcolm Jenkins

"Drew said early on during OTAs that we want to make sure that we want to finish strong, " Sharper said. "You got to win close games if you want to be a championship team, and we have the mentality that we want to be a championship team.

"We didn't make any statement today. It was a great victory on the road against a quality NFC opponent. But statements this early in the season are overrated. Sure, people are going to be talking about us right now. But we can't worry about that too much. We still got a lot of football left."

-Darren Sharper

Recapping the New Orleans Saints-Philadelphia Eagles game - Times-Pic

"Tell me who else is going to go up and get that. It's either him or nobody, " said Brees, who added, "I trust him more than I've ever trusted anybody out on the field."

-Drew Brees, on Marques Colston

"Once I got my release and saw Drew's eyes, I knew where the ball was going, "

-Marques Colston

"I don't know, I just kept playing, " Shockey said, refusing to exaggerate his role in the victory. "The ball kind of came up under me, and I just jumped on it. I don't know about the scenario, I just know it worked out in the end."

-Jeremy Shockey, on recovering the fumble

"I think the special teams coming out and getting a turnover, I think that really disrupted their team momentum, " Shanle said. "And then to just come back with that interception and score another touchdown right away, it really changed what they had to do offensively. That put more pressure on their quarterback."

-Scott Shanle

"It's never perfect. But it was good enough today."

-Sean Payon

New Orleans Saints hit top gear after easing off gas - Times-Pic

"Yeah, we did (think about going for it)," Payton said. "The approach we took today, I don’t want to say conservative because that’s not the right word, but we were going to be smart in how we played this game. There may be situations when we decide to go for it in that case, but today was not going to be one of them."

-Sean Payton

"I think he (Kolb) knew we were in the same defense, but I actually did what I was supposed to do, and he didn’t expect me to be there," Shanle said. "It worked out."

-Scott Shanle

Saint at Eagles Game Story - New Orleans Saints official website

Saints make statement in win over Eagles, 48-22 - NewOrleans.com

Jeff: Saints send message with win over Eagles - WWL

"I told our players that I thought it was a big win for us," Payton said. "I thought in all phases we made some big plays. I thought the turnover in the second half on our kickoff coverage team was a big play. We converted it into a touchdown and that gave us an 11-point lead."

-Sean Payton

Offense soars as Saints defeat Eagles, 48-22 - WWLTV

Video: Roundtable: If injured for a while, loss of Bell won't sting too bad - WWLTV

Saints dominate Eagles 48 - 22 -WWL

Saints' kicking game improves - The Advocate

Saints Offense Explodes Again In 48-22 Romp - WDSU

Brees proving to be the unstoppable force of '09 - Sporting News

New Orleans Saints vs. Philadelphia Eagles - ESPN

"If you look at our skill group, each game no guy ever knows who's day it's gonna be," Brees said. "Each guy knows it's their job to open things up for everyone else."

-Drew Brees

Saints serve notice with thorough thrashing of potent Eagles - CBS Sports

Hobbs: Tomahawk Chop Knocked Ball Loose - Philadelphia Eagles official website

"The guy actually came from behind and made a good play," Hobbs said. "He just tomahawked the ball. I had it tight, he just made a good play and I didn't.

"You have to take the responsibility on yourself and understand that you have to make better plays. I was fortunate enough to go out there and get another chance to make up for it and we scored on that."

-Ellis Hobbs, on Malcolm Jenkins

"We have all the talent in the world (on special teams)," Hobbs said. "But if you kill yourself on the mental aspect, the penalties and mental errors ... This is a game of inches. What you see out there is a bunch of inches, just adding up."

-Ellis Hobbs

Daisher Undaunted Despite ST's Bad Day - Philadelphia Eagles official website

"We had a tough day," said special teams coordinator Ted Daisher. "We have to play a lot better than that."

-Ted Daisher

"You never want to give the opponent a chance for an extra possession," said Daisher. "I thought we had a chance for a good return, a guy got Ellis (Hobbs) from the side and the ball came out.

"It didn't help the cause obviously. It gave them some momentum. Any big play on special teams is momentum wise, and I think that gave them some momentum that obviously hurt our cause."

-Ted Daisher

"Never," he said. "You never change, you never blink, you never think twice. We've been pretty good in special teams the last few years in Cleveland (where Daisher coached), top five in the league.

"I'm not going to change anything, we're just going to work and get better."

-Ted Daisher

Avant One Of Few Bright Spots In Loss - Philadelphia Eagles official website

"We could have been a little cleaner out there today," Avant said. "I believe that we left some things out on the field. I thought Kevin (Kolb) did a nice job with the chances that he had. (There were) a couple of errors on all of our part which cost him some statistics, but everything else was alright."

-Jason Avant

"I believe that (Kolb) did a good job today," Avant said. "I believe that a lot of areas let him down, including myself. "For his first start, we can't ask too much of him. Right now, we've just got to give him more help."

-Jason Avant

"We didn't play smart today and that's just the bottom line," he said. "The Saints played a good game. "We had just too many penalties in critical situations. The game should have been a lot closer than it was. I believe that we dug ourselves a hole that we couldn't get out of."

-Jason Avant

Kolb: Eager For Another Opportunity - Philadelphia Eagles official website

"I was excited to get that because we needed the crowd on our side and they were on our side," Kolb said. "We needed that energy. We had to answer at that point because we knew (Drew) Brees and the Saints - we didn't want them to get the big lead on us like they ended up doing."

-Kevin Kolb

"It's frustrating because there were some good things out there. I just hate that I kill myself and kill the team with those turnovers," Kolb said. "As a quarterback, you can't allow yourself to do that. It puts us in the hole. It put us in the hole at the top of the third (quarter) and we couldn't recover."

-Kevin Kolb

"We had been throwing that route in the two-minute drill leading up to the half and they trust me if that guy gets wide, to just check it back underneath," Kolb said. "And I really thought I could get it outside of him and we had been doing it previous to that point and he just took off to the flats."

-Kevin Kolb

"I saw it clear as day they were bad throws," Kolb said. "I left them inside and you can't do that on out breaking routes, first page of the quarterback book. It just upsets me that I make those errors."

-Kevin Kolb

John Smallwood: Put this loss on the Eagles’ defense - Philadelphia Daily News

Brees makes it look easy - Philadelphia Inquirer

"I think with our group, each game you never know whose day it's going to be," Brees said. "Did we know it was going to be (Colston's) day? No. We get into the heat of it and, all of a sudden, he's got the hot hand so we're feeding him."

-Drew Brees

"It is very important for this offense every game that we get off to a quick start," Saints running back Mike Bell said. "We want to start quick and that way it will set the tempo for the game."

-Mike Bell

Phil Sheridan: Not wild about the Wildcat - Philadelphia Inquirer

Post-Game Notebook - Philadelphia Eagles official website

Eagles Falter Against Powerful Saints Team - Philadelphia Eagles official website

Video: From The Locker Room: Eagles-Saints - Philadelphia Eagles official website

Video: Brian Westbrook PC: September 20 - Philadelphia Eagles official website

Video: Kevin Kolb PC: September 20 - Philadelphia Eagles official website

Video: Eagles-Saints: Post-Game Show - Philadelphia Eagles official website

Video: Quintin Mikell PC: September 20 - Philadelphia Eagles official website

Video: Andy Reid PC: September 20 - Philadelphia Eagles official website

Video

Jeff Duncan's video log from Saints-Eagles (Sept. 20, 2009)

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

What they're saying - Eagles react to week 2 loss

JasonB — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 07:27:22 -0000

More photos » by Michael Perez - AP

A shot of the pregame festivities... it only went downhill from there. (AP Photo/Michael Perez)

Browse more photos »

QB Kevin Kolb acknowledged his mistakes.

"It's frustrating because there were some good things out there. I just hate that I kill myself and kill the team with those turnovers," Kolb said. "As a quarterback, you can't allow yourself to do that. It puts us in the hole. It put us in the hole at the top of the third (quarter) and we couldn't recover. I saw it clear as day they were bad throws," Kolb said. "I left them inside and you can't do that on out breaking routes, first page of the quarterback book. It just upsets me that I make those errors."

Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott took responsibility for the way his unit played in the loss.

"I give all the credit to the Saints, Coach (Sean) Payton, and Drew Brees," McDermott said in the locker room after the game. "The whole offensive personnel and staff do a good job of keeping you off balance, and they did that today.

"We just need to execute and that begins and ends with me."

Eagles special teams coach Ted Daisher was pretty succinct in his assessment.

"We had a tough day," said special teams coordinator Ted Daisher. "We have to play a lot better than that."

More after the jump...

Did the wildcat formation throw off the rhythm of the QB or the offense?

"It really didn't," Kolb said.

"I don't think it disrupted us at all. The plays we used the Wildcat, it definitely was successful," Jackson said.

"That was one of the plusses," Reid said.

Joselio Hanson gave credit to Drew Brees.

"He gets the ball off quick," Eagles cornerback Joselio Hanson said. "It seemed like we were a step behind. He knows where he wants to go with the ball.

"Drew Brees is an animal. He's one of the best."

Ellis Hobbs talked about his back breaking fumble that led to the Saints breaking the game wide open.

"I got blindsided," Hobbs said. "I got away from one guy and saw nothing but green in front of me, and I didn't feel the guy coming from the back, and he made a good play on it."

Quintin Mikell talked about the sequence which saw the Eagles' defense give up two quick TDs after the Saints were given a short field to work with.

"That's tough," safety Quintin Mikell said "We put ourselves in a bad position and, as a defense, it really doesn't matter. We've been in that position before, and we've held people to field goals. That's something we've got to get better at. Those are the times, if you're a good defense and you want to be a great defense, you've got to stop that kind of stuff."

And finally... Andy Reid.

"Obviously there were too many mistakes, and that's my responsibility," Reid said. "I have to make sure this thing is right. It wasn't right today - any phase of it. In the first half, we had way too many penalties, and we were lucky to keep the game close. We came out in the second half and had turnovers, penalties and everything else."