SB Nation - Mike Patterson

49ers-Eagles: Final Injury Report

Fooch — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:00:28 -0000

The 49ers had their last bit of practice today and I believe are heading off to Philly at some point today. I'd think leaving today could help with that early Sunday start, but we'll see. After the jump I've posted what was a very brief post-game press transcript. Staley will definitely be starting on Sunday, and Arnaz Battle will be returning punts, so we'll all get to collectively hold our breath for small chunks of Sunday's game.

49ers
Out
CB Nate Clements (shoulder)

Doubtful
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle)

Questionable
T Barry Sims (knee)
TE Delanie Walker (ankle)

Probable
LB Ahmad Brooks (foot)
S Dashon Goldson (chest)
RB Frank Gore (toe)
CB Marcus Hudson (back)
RB Moran Norris (toe)
RB Michael Robinson (shoulder)
T Joe Staley (knee)
LB Takeo Spikes (hamstring)

Eagles
Out
WR Jeremy Maclin (foot)
RB Brian Westbrook (concussion)

Questionable
TE Brent Celek (back, thumb)

Probable
DE Victor Abiamiri (knee)
WR Jason Avant (hamstring)
C Nick Cole (knee)
DE Trent Cole (hamstring)
WR Kevin Curtis (knee)
LB Akeem Jordan (knee)
DT Mike Patterson (wrist)
RB Leonard Weaver (hamstring)

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Post-Practice - December 18, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

Opening statements:

"We had a good week this week, a couple of days of good practice. It is more about getting mental work this time of year. We are trying to get our guys healthy, fresh and ready for the game. As far as [T Joe] Staley is concerned, we are glad to have him back. He will start. [T Barry] Sims will back up."

On what he saw in Staley this week:

"Actually, even the last couple of weeks, he has been talking about how good he was feeling. Of course I keep a rapport with the trainer, Fergie [Jeff Ferguson], and Fergie kept giving me updates here and there and said he was doing great. He possibly could have gone last week, but I wanted to give him another week simply because we just really wanted to make sure he was ready and didn't want to take any steps backwards because he has been doing so well. He has looked great. He looked good last week in the things he did and I am very excited to see how he does."

On how well Sims filled in for Staley:

"Outstanding. I don't think anyone really knew what to expect. Last year, he played some right tackle and did a good job last year, but I think this year he exceeded that by far. He held up and just did a really nice job."

On who will return punts Sunday:

"[WR] Arnaz [Battle]."

On whether taking Wednesday off had the desired effect on the players:

"You really won't know that until Sunday, but I think so. I believe so."

49ers-Eagles Thursday Injury Report/Coordinator Transcripts

Fooch — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:41:51 -0000

The 49ers had their normal Thursday practice session and I believe will be heading out to Philly tomorrow. In the meantime, the practice reports would seem to indicate that Joe Staley will be back in his spot at left tackle on Sunday against the Eagles. Barry Sims banged up his knee on Monday and has been out since then (even though today is technically the only practice of the week). With Sims looking likely to be on the shelf on Sunday, the return of Staley turns into a pretty important storyline. The team has done a solid job keeping Alex Smith on his feet, and a nice chunk of that has been due to the impressive play of Barry Sims off the bench. The question now is how injecting Staley into the lineup might affect that.

49ers
Out (Definitely Will Not Play)
CB Nate Clements (shoulder)

Did not Participate in Practice
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle)
T Barry Sims (knee)
TE Delanie Walker (ankle)

Limited Participation in Practice
LB Takeo Spikes (hamstring)

Full Participation in Practice
LB Ahmad Brooks (foot)
S Dashon Goldson (chest)
RB Frank Gore (toe)
CB Marcus Hudson (back)
RB Moran Norris (toe)
RB Michael Robinson (shoulder)
T Joe Staley (knee)

Eagles
Did not Participate in Practice
WR Jeremy Maclin (foot)

Limited Participation in Practice
TE Brent Celek (back, thumb)
RB Brian Westbrook (concussion)

Full Participation in Practice
DE Victor Abiamiri (knee)
WR Jason Avant (hamstring)
C Nick Cole (knee)
DE Trent Cole (hamstring)
WR Kevin Curtis (knee)
LB Akeem Jordan (knee)
DT Mike Patterson (wrist)
RB Leonard Weaver (hamstring)

After the jump check out OC Jimmy Raye and DC Greg Manusky's transcripts from after practice today.

Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky
Post-Walk Thru - December 17, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On the Eagles use of screen passes:

"I think with the athletes that they have across the board with the wide receivers and the running backs, it is part of their game and we have to play the call and defeat blocks and feel the screen and get to them."

On why the team has struggled against the screen this year:

"Maybe situations, also the linemen have to feel it. I think the screen game is a team thing from a defensive standpoint where you have to hustle to the ball and make plays. That is what we have to try to focus on and get it done in practice."

On defending WR DeSean Jackson:

"You just have to make sure you have somebody on top of him. He has great speed, a vertical threat. He catches the ball very well and the quarterback throws to him. Basically, that is what you have to do."

On what he meant by "have somebody on top of him":

"Have a safety on top of him."

On S Dashon Goldson's range:

"He has some range. That's why we drafted him where we did. He did a good job last week making plays on the deep balls and also coming up and filling in in the run game. He has had some good games in the last couple of weeks, so that's good."

On CB Shawntae Spencer's season:

"That's why we made our decision early on after camp was over to make him the starter. At first we were a little bit tentative because we didn't know where he would be, but it has worked out for us with him coming back from that injury."

On Spencer's speed now compared to before his injury:

"Like I said during training camp, he is very clean. He had a clean training camp and he has been playing well the last couple of weeks. That's what he is."

On whether this is Spencer's best season:

"So far, yeah. I think so for the years I have been around. I don't know about the years prior to when I was here, but he is playing very consistent and steady football, which we like."

On whether Spencer is a leader in the secondary:

"I think all those guys take the lead. Shawntae does his job and he does it well. He is a professional at it and it is good to see that things are working out for him."

On whether Spencer has stepped up more since CB Nate Clements became injured:

"Yeah, he goes out there and does his job. He's not a big talker, at least I don't hear him out on the field talking. He matches up against some good wide receivers and he goes out there and plays week-in and week-out and he has had a fine season thus far."

On whether LB Ahmad Brooks has Lawrence Taylor-type ability:

"He has ability. I played against LT, never offensively, but he had some moves. Ahmad is a good, talented player. He has a lot of physical talent, and if we can just hone those skills like we did last week and keep getting better each and every game and each and every practice, the sky is the limit for the guy."

On why he moved Brooks to the outside linebacker position:

"I think during training camp and OTAs, particularly last year during the season and stuff, his ability to come off the edge and rush in the scout team stuff and against our tackles we saw something there. We made the decision this past offseason to move him strictly to that position and it has benefitted him."

On what Brooks needs to become an every-down player:

"Reps. That is the most important thing, seeing the picture over and over and over again. For players that haven't played outside or played inside and are trying to make that conversion at times is hard. For him, it is always a process. Even for guys coming out of college who are defensive linemen who get to stand up and pass rush, it takes them a little bit of time to figure it out and the body leans and everything and get those pass-sets and feel where the set-point is. His progress is good."

On what he meant by "body lean":

"Feeling the offensive body lean, if he is over-set and you are under-set."

On the hostile environment in Philadelphia:

"We have to play the game. We get paid to play, and same thing with the players, they have to go out there and perform. Even though we are going back east, there are always obstacles and things in your way, I think we just have to keep on focusing on us and just play the game."

On whether this is the most diverse offense he has faced this year:

"Yeah, they have some different people that they put in in different packages. We will have a plan for them."

On why the turnovers have come in bunches this year:

"It is kind of like a feeding frenzy sometimes. When one guy gets one you feel... I remember when I played when I used to get one, it just kind of builds on itself. I think that is what happens, so hopefully we will get one early in Philly."

Offensive Coordinator Jimmy Raye
Post-Walk Thru - December 17, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On the difference between QB Alex Smith dropping back and being in the shotgun:

"I think we're over-analyzing this thing way, way, way too - we're just playing football. We're just playing football. This isn't an exact science, and Alex's progress has been very good from the time that I arrived here back in February and to the time he's been able to get on the field and play. The problem, I guess, that I have with qualifying that is I don't have the previous history that you all observed from before. I didn't go study that and don't know the nuances of what took place, but he has been effective under, as he was in Houston, threw three touchdown passes in the second half of that game, and he's been effective from the gun. But, as it goes forward, the mixture of that as the offense finds its level of consistency repetitively, I think the way he's playing and the way the people around him are playing and the continuity continues, I think that will be a good fit."

On whether he's seen enough of Smith to determine if he's the 49ers starter for 2010:

"When you say ‘our,' are you including me? I think you can only judge that by how he has played to this point, and if he continues to win games, which I think he will, and I think he will continue to improve as he gets more familiar with playing the game itself within the constraints of the offense. I would think, for this organization, that he would be their quarterback in 2010, yes."

On whether he is planning on coming back in 2010:

"I don't think that question was about me. I think it was about Alex Smith in 2010."

On whether he's planning on being a part of the decision making process for Smith in 2010:

"Yes."

On whether the type of run-pass ratio from Monday Night Football is the type of balance he was hoping for:

"In terms of the quantity of run selection and pass selection it was, if you take the last three kneel downs out of it. I would like to lean a little bit - I think the balance would not be 50-50. I'd like to lean a little bit more toward the pass. I think we're in pretty good shape when we're in the plus 28-, 32-run category - when we get to that point. The numbers favor us if we're in the plus 28-32 run ratio to pass attempts. I think that favors us, and if we take care of the ball in that process, I think it breeds very well for us."

On whether the range was 28-32 runs:

"Yes."

On the desire to run 60 percent of the time at the start of the season and now looking for 60 percent pass:

"You've got to understand, guys, that when we started we had a different group of people than when we started. To me the balance, the 65-35, or the 60-40 balance is where you'd like to be, and with the change in quarterback and the addition of [WR Michael] Crabtree and the emergence of [TE Vernon] Davis and the development of [WR] Josh Morgan, I think it tilts the scale just a little bit the other way. That is the proportion of balance that you're striving for, and if it happens to be 60-40 run, I think that would be OK. If it happened to be 60-40 pass, ideally 65, if it was 55-45, those numbers would be in an ideal situation, though I don't think, other than last week, that would be possible to achieve on a weekly basis based on the defense that you play."

On whether the flexibility in offensive styles is a benefit because defenses must prepare for various looks:

"If it causes the defenses that we're going to play more preparation time because of all of the packages that we're in and the problems that we present, then it's a real benefit to us, provided we're efficient in them. We've done a pretty good job in 11 personnel, 12 personnel, and as we've gone forward, 22 group has kind of moved ahead of the 21 group - but that has been dictated by the defense that we're playing. All of the things that we have available to us in those personnel groups means that it's something they can't hone in on and get really specifically good at, so that's a positive for offense and allows us to stay in attack mode."

On his personnel group philosophy on first and second down:

"I don't know the reference to last year, what that means. We would like, from the quarterback standpoint, the feeling as we practice and prepare the plan, the feeling of being able to put him in the things in that particular package that have run-down and pass-down features to it, without people running in and out of the huddle constantly helps him settle and anticipate the call of what we practiced and what we anticipate seeing by down and distance, and hopefully, those things are fluid enough that we can do them as well out of 11 as out of 12 or 22 and 21. The thing that has been a little bit what you haven't seen and the thing that has hurt us a little bit in terms of being able to do that and maintain the fluidity of that is we lost [RB] Michael Robinson, who is kind of a back hybrid like [TE] Delanie Walker is a tight end hybrid guy. We haven't had that available to us because of injury, but that allows you - the 21 package - to be as fluid as the other packages if he's available because he has pass receiving skill, run blocking skills and can line up in the backfield. So, the personnel groups that we play through and out of, as I said way back early on in the spring, is that you'd like to have offensively the things that you're doing by the people in the game, the ability for the personnel on the group and the plays to be able to take care of the contingencies of the defense, and then they have to defend all of those things and matchup the personnel that's in the game. That would be ideal. It doesn't happen very much, but that's ideally what you're looking for."

On whether the QB Alex Smith's hard count is a part of the offense:

"That's a big part of the offense. We practice that. It got us there in the end on the one play in the four-minute deal where the right tackle hitched. It is a part of what we do, the cadence and when we start it. We have mandatory cadence sessions in practices where we use the hard count and we have the clown cadence. I don't want to tell everything that we do to the people that we play, but that is a part of what we do."

On FB Moran Norris' strong play on Monday night gives him more confidence to go with the 22 package:

"Yes it does, he played well. The 22 is a little bit heavier package, so he plays the same position in 21. But, 22 is a little bit heavier package. We think of it as a little bit heavier of a package. The thing you have to understand is that [RB] Frank [Gore], the runner has a real feeling of security when [No.] 44 is in the game as a lead blocker, different than some of the other personnel groups that we have. When he plays well, that helps all of us, in particular the guy that is important is that it helps [No.] 21."

49ers-Eagles Wednesday Injury Report

Fooch — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:18 -0000

The 49ers actually gave the team an extra day off this week and did not practice today. The schedule is thrown a bit out of whack due to the Monday Night game, but part of the reason for the day off is the team is a bit banged up following the victory. Even though the 49ers didn't practice, they have provide a practice report, so we have basically a projection for what would have happened had they practiced. Tomorrow will probably give us a better idea of things when we get a real practice report after a full day of practice.

Also, we don't have any coach transcripts today, but Maiocco has posted some comments about his conference call earlier today with Eagles coach Andy Reid, and Eagles QB Donovan McNabb.

49ers
Out (Definitely Will Not Play)
CB Nate Clements (shoulder)

Did not Participate in Practice
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle)
S Dashon Goldson (chest)
TE Delanie Walker (ankle)
RB Michael Robinson (shoulder)
LB Takeo Spikes (hamstring)
T Barry Sims (knee)

Limited Participation in Practice
LB Ahmad Brooks (foot)
RB Frank Gore (toe)
FB Moran Norris (toe)

Full Participation in Practice
CB Marcus Hudson (back)
OT Joe Staley (knee)

Eagles
Did not Participate in Practice
TE Brent Celek (back, thumb)
WR Jeremy Maclin (foot)

Limited Participation in Practice
DE Trent Cole (hamstring)
RB Brian Westbrook (concussion)

Full Participation in Practice
DE Victor Abiamiri (knee)
WR Jason Avant (hamstring)
C Nick Cole (knee)
WR Kevin Curtis (knee)
LB Akeem Jordan (knee)
DT Mike Patterson (wrist)
RB Leonard Weaver (hamstring)
LB Tracy White (shoulder)

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)

More of the same: Philadelphia Eagles fall to San Diego Chargers 31-23

JasonB — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:42:14 -0000

More photos » by Denis Poroy - AP

about 1 month ago: San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson slips through the Philadelphia Eagles defense while scoring on a 20-yard run during the third quarter of a NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

Browse more photos »

The Eagles had a lot working against them today with a crushing amount of injuries and a cross country trip, but in the end what we saw was more of the same. The offense was inconsistent early on and once again the team can't make a play to win a close game. The lack of a play I'm referring to is of course the inability of the defense to stop the Chargers and afford the offense with a real chance to get down the field for a score.

The injuries can't be discounted in this game however. When Sheldon Brown went down with an injury in the 3rd quarter, the Eagles with one member of their regular group of corners. They didn't have one linebacker playing their normal position, they were without their best offensive lineman, and of course Brian Westbrook was lost with yet another concussion. More on what that probably means later.

The offense led a comeback in the second half to get it close and the defense tightened up for a while... but in the end both were too little too late. The team doesn't lack heart and fought until the end, but I don't really think they had the bullets to win this fight.

I suppose if you want to take any solace from this game, Dallas lost and the Eagles lost no ground in the division. Right now, the NFC "beast"(LOL) isn't looking so great. Anyone could still make the postseason.

Headlines after the jump.

Westbrook probably done for the year

I don't have anything official, but I doubt the Eagles or the NFL or pretty much any doctor is going to allow Brian Westbrook to play against this year after suffering his second concussion in 4 weeks. I fully expect him to be shut down for the year, but I hope this isn't the end of his Eagles career. At this point, his future health is what's most important.

Career day for Avant

Avant hauled in 8 passes for 156 yards including one of the most impressive grabs you'll see all year. Facing double coverage on 3rd down he leapt up, bounced the ball off one hand, stayed with it, and ended up pulling off an impressive one handed catch before hitting the ground just beyond the first down marker. Just a fantastic individual effort and an overall great day for #81.

It wasn't the loss of Peters, it was the loss of Herremans

For me, the worst part of the offense today by far was the interior of the offensive line. I'm not sure I saw them get a push once all day. This is where the loss of Jason Peters had a ripple effect. Todd Herremans did a sold job out at LT, but his absence on the inside was sorely missed. Stacy Andrews was in my opinion by far the worst of the bunch. You could give him the benefit of the doubt since he's less than a year removed from major knee surgery, but whatever the case he kills them out there. No series was it more evident than the first and goal when the Eagles ran up the gut two of the three times and the RB hit a wall each time. No push, no holes, no gain.

Speaking of lines...

The defensive line wasn't a whole lot better. There's no doubt that the decimation of the secondary and the LB corps to injury played a part in the Eagles weakness against the run, but it's also fair to say that Broderick Bunkley and Mike Patterson didn't have their best day. Normally those guys combine to be a pretty force against the run, but I noticed them getting moved around quite a bit today.

No rest for the weary

Next week, it's the Bears in Chicago in prime time.

Eagles dominate Panthers 38-10

JasonB — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:25:28 -0000

More photos » by Rick Havner - AP

3 months ago: Philadelphia Eagles' DeSean Jackson (10) returns a punt for a touchdown as Carolina Panthers' James Anderson (50) chases during an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Rick Havner)

Browse more photos »

The Eagles won big today, but could potentially have come out the losers in the end. There's a ton to talk about with this game, but we have to start with the injury to Donovan McNabb. He took a pretty tough hit as he plowed his way into the end zone for a TD. He spent a few minutes on the ground before walking off under his own power and eventually heading to the locker room. He did return to the sidelines, but was still in obvious pain. Trainers were working on his lower back and the Eagles called it a rib injury. The best case scenario seems to be a bad contusion, the worst is probably a broken or cracked rib. Obviously his health will be the big story this coming week.

The other big story is going to be the absolute domination by the Eagles defense. The D forced seven turnovers including five picks and two forced fumbles, while also sacking 3 different Panther QBs a total of five times. New defensive coordinator Sean McDermott certainly earned an A+ in his first game as Eagles defensive coordinator. He seemed to bring pressure at the perfect times to the perfect places & pretty much everything he called worked. His attacking mindset and love of the blitz certainly showed that he was paying attention to Jim Johnson all those years and gives many hope that he will follow in the footsteps of former Jim Johnson proteges like Steve Spagnuolo and become great himself.

The play that will define Sean McDermott to me was the second to last of the game. With just seconds left, the Panthers had a 4 and goal from the one yard line down 38-10. Unwilling to give up even a meaningless TD, McDermott re-inserted his starters into the game and the Eagles' D stuffed the Panthers 4th down attempt and took the ball back. That was an attitude play. He was sending a message to this team and every other team that they won't willingly surrender an inch no matter what the situation.

Headlines after the jump.

[Note by JasonB, 09/13/09 4:39 PM EDT ] Comcast sportsnets' Derrick Gunn is reporting that McNabb sustained a cracked rib and will likely miss at least two weeks. Certainly puts a damper on an otherwise fabulous win. Andy Reid confirmed the injury in his post game press conference and indicated that McNabb might be able to play next week.. but that certainly seems unlikely.

Delhomme in postseason form

Jake Delhomme was in postseason form today throwing 4 picks before Panther's coach Jon Fox mercifully pulled him, which was probably the only reason Delhomme didn't equal the 5 picks he threw in the playoffs last year. Jake did manage to turn it over 5 times when you include the fumble that was recovered in the end zone for a TD. The Panther signed Delhomme to a 5 year, $42 million extension this offseason which includes $20 in guarantees. Ouch.

Who gets singled out?

It's hard to even pick out which members of the Eagles defense to praise. The unit as whole was dominant. Sheldon Brown certainly stands out with his two picks. Asante Samuel absolutely shut down one of the great WRs in the game, Steve Smith. Smith and Asante lined up against one another 20 times. Smith had one catch for 8 yards and Asante had an INT. Shut. Down.

Trent Cole played like a madman today. He forced the fumble that ~~Omar Gaither~~ Victor Abiamiri picked up in the end zone for a TD and although he tallied just one official sack, he was in the face of whoever the Panthers trotted out to play QB play after play.

I said this when Stewart Bradley got hurt, Bill Barnwell of Football Outsiders said this in our interview... The reason the Eagles were so good against the run last year was primarily because Broderick Bunkley and Mike Patterson were so good. Stewart Bradley did a very good job last year, but he was not the main reason this Eagles D was so strong up the middle. Those two DTs were dominant today holding one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL to 86 total yards rushing... now you could say that the low rushing totals were because the Panthers were forced to throw to make up the big deficit, but the 2.9 yards per carry shows that their run game was never effective.

O-Line impresses

The Eagles much maligned offensive line certainly did it's job today. Other than two lack sacks on Kevin Kolb, they pass blocked well and paved the way for a 185 yard rushing performance. Can you believe an Eagles offense had more than twice as many yards rushing as it did passing? Hopefully Andy Reid pays attention to that...

There were some miscues. Two offsides from Peters and one from Nick Cole are things that need to be fixed, but overall that unit did it's job. Peters almost blocked the entire left side of the Panthers' D himself on a 17 yard Westbrook run. I still don't think he's fully in the flow yet, but you can see the raw talent there is great. Winston Justice was arguably the most impressive of the bunch. Not only did he do a good job in pass protection, he was sealing off the edge effectively on run plays. Julius Peppers did beat him on a strip sack of Kolb late, but overall Justice looks more like the second round he was than he ever has an Eagle.

Philadelphia Eagles 53 man roster by the numbers

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

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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.

Bill Barnwell of Football Outsiders talks Eagles

JasonB — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:38:57 -0000

Earlier this week, I had a chance to talk with Bill Barnwell of Football Outsiders about their new Football Outsiders Almanac 2009. Football Outsiders focuses on advanced statistical analysis of the NFL. If you've never heard of them, here's a good primer.

If you're a hardcore football fan, I don't think there's a better reference than the Football Outsiders Almanac 2009.

We dissected a little bit of the Eagles 2008 season and looked ahead to 2009. I think you'll be surprised to hear an objective perspective on the Eagles' philosophy and some Eagle players.

Actually, until last night I thought this interview would be what Eagles fan were talking about this weekend...

The one stat in the book that really jumped out at me was that the Eagles only pass 5% more than the league average. What would your response be to the "Andy Reid needs to run the ball more" chorus that we hear so often as Eagles fans?

Well, I'd say that there are situations in which the Eagles would be better off running the ball more frequently, but on the whole, the team benefits from passing the ball. We take a very detailed look in Football Outsiders Almanac 2009 into the Eagles' playcalling tendencies, and compare them to the league average performance in each of those situations when running and passing the ball.

One situation that definitely stood out in 2008 was second-and-short (three yards or less). When Philly runs the ball in those situations, they pick up 4.1 yards per attempt; the league average is only 3.7 yards per attempt. When they throw the ball, though, despite the fact that they have the much-vaunted big play potential in those second-and-short situations, the Eagles averaged only 4.3 yards per attempt -- barely more than the running plays -- when the league average was 6.0 yards per attempt. They were also far less likely to pick up first downs in that situation when passing.

Stewart Bradley became the Eagles first major loss to injury this season. While he certainly played at a high level and was becoming very popular amongst fans, I always felt that he owed a lot to the play of Mike Patterson and Broderick Bunkley. Do you agree with that and how do you think the Eagles' defense will fare without Bradley?

I absolutely agree that Bradley's level of play had a lot to do with the performance of the two defensive tackles in front of him. Every middle linebacker's play, to an extent, is dictated by the players in front of him keeping blockers off him for as long as possible, but very few middle linebackers have such a great set of tackles in front of them. Philly had the second-best run defense in the league in the second half of 2008, and I felt like a lot of that had to do with Bunkley and Patterson beginning to just dominate opposing linemen as a combination.

Sticking with the linebackers... the book calls strong side LB Chris Gocong "probably the unit's best player." What is is that you guys saw in Gocong that made you feel that way?

Truthfully, the bar for Philly linebackers isn't that high. Gocong was great in pass coverage last year, as his pass defense metrics were superior to any of the other linebackers and ranked among the top linebackers in football. He was a sure tackler, and made his tackles closer to the line than any other one of the team's linebackers. Some of that is his role in the Eagles' scheme, but we've perceived him to be the most reliable of the team's starting linebackers.

We've had a lot of debate here on the blog and amongst all Eagles fans about TE Brent Celek. Some say he's a backup at best, some say the guy is a legit starting TE. Much of the optimism about Celek came from his incredibly strong end to the season and playoff run. Should Eagles fans take those last few games as a sign of what's to come, or should the team be looking to upgrade from Celek at some point?

Well, I think we can all agree on something: He can't be worse than L.J. Smith.

We've appreciated Celek for two years running now, placing him on the "Top 25 Prospects" list in our book. If the expectations for him are that he'll catch ten passes a game, well, he'll end up being a disappointment. A more reasonable expectation is that of a sure-handed receiver who isn't a great blocker, but offers a safety valve in the passing game and has no qualms about going over the middle or up the seam. If he had something like Chad Lewis' career from this point forward (although perhaps without the Pro Bowl selections), I think that might be a fair expectation.

The Eagles were at the top of your DVOA rankings for a good part of last season. Their struggles at certain points led a lot of people to question the rankings. Did you take the Eagles' postseason run as any kind of validation of your system? Piggybacking on that... you talk a lot about luck as it related to the Eagles last season. How much of a factor was luck on their actual record vs their DVOA rank?

I mean, yes and no. The line between success and failure in the NFL is remarkably slim. The Eagles' postseason run came, of course, after the Raiders beat the Buccaneers on the road in a 1:00 game without their best player, Nnamdi Asomugha, or anything to play for. If the Raiders lose that game, Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb probably aren't Eagles right now, and the team's rebuilding.

It's hard for me to justify saying that the Eagles were able to validate our system thanks to a playoff run that never really should have happened in the first place. On the other hand, 16 games isn't a huge sample. There was a really interesting study on pro-football-reference.com a couple of years ago that simulated the 2005 season 10,000 times based upon a set of win percentages that would be taken as each team's "true" talent level.

The idea was to figure out how often the true "best team" in the league -- as measured by that "true" win percentage -- actually goes on to win the Super Bowl. The answer was about 30 percent of the time.

The reality is that variance can play a huge role in the course of winning one game, let alone a few out of 16. If the referees throw a flag for pass interference on fourth down of the final drive in the Eagles-Cardinals game, and the Eagles go down the field and promptly score, were they the better team? Were they the worse team because the refs didn't?

Our methodology is simple: Go play-by-play and figure out how a team does against the league average. If they play really well and put up good numbers, but don't win, we know that DVOA -- our core metric -- is a better indicator of wins in the subsequent season than wins themselves. Philly's playoff run was nice, and made the act of writing the Eagles' chapter way easier, but it didn't prove anything with regards to our numbers for me.

Finally, we talked a lot this offseason about sentimentality vs actual production as it related to Brian Dawkins. Would you have matched the 5 year $17 million deal the Broncos gave him if you were running the Eagles?

It's hard to say. They can afford it, certainly, considering the amount of cap space they usually have available. But if they were planning on phasing him out of the starting lineup anyway, would Dawkins have wanted to stay? Probably not.

I would've told him after the season that we were moving in a different direction, and that we'd love to have him as a third safety and coach on the field, offering him a deal commensurate with that role. That might have hurt, and it wouldn't have been the $17 million deal, but it would have given Dawkins the option to finish his career in Philly.

This interview just scratches the surface of what football outsiders has in the book in regards to not just the Eagles, but the entire NFL. If you're interested in the book, Football Outsiders Almanac 2009, click the link for more details on how you can get it.

Stewart Bradley lost for the season after ACL tear

JasonB — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:53:01 -0000

Last night at the Eagles' "Flight Night" fans saw Stewart Bradley limp off the field with an apparent knee injury. Turns out, the injury was serious. Bradley tore his ACL and will now miss the entire year.

Bradley has a torn anterior cruciate ligament that will end his season, his agent, Eric Metz, confirmed to the Daily News' Les Bowen. Metz said the injury is a "complete tear." Metz said they are examining their options as to who will perform the surgery.

"Stew seems to be handling it well," Metz said. "He's a mature, tough kid."

Obviously this is a tremendous blow to the Eagles defense. Bradley is coming off a very good first year as a starter and looked to be one of the real emerging stars on this Eagles defense.

One can't help but wonder whether this injury was more, less, or just as likely to happen up at Lehigh as it was during this "Flight Night" thing where the Eagles practiced in front of 30k fans at the Linc... It's a question I hope someone asks of Andy Reid.

Find out why all is not lost at the middle LB position, and see video of the injury after the jump.

Middle linebacker happens to one of the positions on the defense where there is experienced, veteran depth. Omar Gaither started and played well at the MIKE on this team for an entire season. In fact, I think most would agree that he was better at MIKE in 2007 than he was at WILL last year. It's always a blow to lose a starter, but at least the Eagles won't be relying on a rookie or inexperienced player to step in here. Gaither knows the defense, he has experience as the primary signal caller, and he's started at the position in the NFL. The other guy int he mix will be 2nd year man Joe Mays.

The other reason for optimism was something that I noted back in the position preview of the defensive tackles. Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley really did a lot to keep blockers off the linebackers, which freed up Bradley to make plays. This is not to take anything away from Bradley, but I think Omar might find that he has more room and freedom to move around than he did when he started at the MIKE back in 2007.

All that said, I don't want to appear like I'm sugar coating this too much. This is a big loss. Bradley was an important part of what made the Eagles defense so good last year. There's a reason he won that MIKE job last year and there's a reason certain major publications were calling him an all pro... The Eagles' D isn't quite as strong as it was up the middle today as it was yesterday and the depth becomes that much more thin.

Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp Preview - Defensive Tackle

JasonB — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:36:27 -0000

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This is the next installment in our series of 12 positions in 12 days previewing the upcoming Eagles training camp. Rookie and selected vets report to Lehigh July 26th and each day leading up to that date we will bring you a preview of a different position battle.

With the offense behind us it's time to move onto the defense. We start today with the defensive tackles.

The Bodies

Brodrick Bunkley, Jervonte Jackson, Dan Klecko, Trevor Laws, Mike Patterson

I'll also add Darren Howard and Victor Abiamiri to the list. Neither are DTs, but both will spend some time playing inside in certain packages.

Presumed Starters

There's not too many starting jobs up for grab on this Eagles team and DT isn't one. Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley will start after a very solid 2008 that saw the Eagles defense finish 3rd overall and 4th against the run. While Bunkley and Patterson didn't provide much of a pass rush combining for just 2.5 sacks, but they did prove to be immovable objects in the run game and freed up the linebackers to make plays. There's little doubt that the development of a guy like Stewart Bradley last year was partly due to the fact that the two DTs kept blockers off him.

As a pair, Bunkley and Patterson trailed only the Williamses in Minnesota in total tackles.

New additions

Jervonte Jackson, brother of center Jamaal Jackson, was signed as an undrafted free agent.

Dan Klecko isn't a new addition, but he's back to being a DT after finishing last year as a fullback.

What to watch for

This camp is going to be about what guys can fill different roles on the interior of the defensive line. Last year when he started the year at DT, Dan Klecko did a nice job as a situational pass rusher. Can he provide that spark again?

Darren Howard actually led the Eagles in sacks last year, many of which came when he lined up at DT in pass situations. It will be interesting to see how much of that success he can replicate this year and if anyone else can fit into that role. The prime candidate would be Victor Abiamiri, who did have some success in the second half last year lining up both inside and out. However, Abiamiri should be fighting for a starting job at DE, so the focus will be on guys like Klecko and second year man Trevor Laws to spell the starters.

Previous position previews

Interior Offensive Line

Offensive Tackles