SB Nation - Sav Rocca

Potent Quotables - Dawkins Talks Philly Return

John Bena — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 02:14:21 -0000

More photos » by Jack Dempsey - AP

1 day ago: FILE - In this Aug. 30, 2009, file photo, Denver Broncos safety Brian Dawkins (20) is shown during a preseason NFL football game against the Chicago Bears at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver. Dawkins doesn't expect the warmest of welcomes when he makes his return to Philadelphia this Sunday. Dawkins poured everything he had into every single play during a highly successful 13-year run in Philadelphia. But the circumstances have dramatically changed. The longtime fan favorite in Philly returns Sunday as a member of the opposition. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey, File)

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HEAD COACH JOSH McDANIELS

Opening comment

"We are full blown into our preparation for the (Philadelphia) Eagles. This team is, I would say, as explosive of a team as we've played all year, no question about it. They start fast, they've pretty much dominated the first quarter all year long (and) the first half all year long, and that's the key to their success. They've got explosive players on offense. All of their skill players make great plays. (QB Donovan) McNabb is certainly one of the premiere quarterbacks of the league. Their (offensive) line protects him. They've got guys who can score from anywhere on the field. Defensively, obviously, it's a very aggressive unit that pressures you a lot, can create a lot of negative plays more than anybody in football so far this year. (They are) plus-17 in the turnover margin, which is obviously another key to their success. They create a lot of turnovers and they score with it. Then, they've got two really good kickers (K David Akers and P Sav Rocca), and then (WR) DeSean Jackson is as explosive as a returner as we're going to face all year. (We have) a great challenge ahead of us, a very well-coached football team. (They are) extremely sound with all of the things that they do, and they've been here before. They're playing very well."

On Philadelphia WR DeSean Jackson's speed

"(He is the) fastest guys we've played, no doubt. I don't know if there is anybody that I could even say is in the same category. When he's got the ball in his hands as a returner, it's a chance for a huge play. When he goes down the field, you see him break the cushion with the defensive backs faster than everybody else that you watch. He's got such an explosive burst to him, and that's why you see-I think his average touchdown is 61 yards. That's almost unheard of."

On teams looking past Jackson because of his size

"He's every bit as talented as any other player in this league on offense. Whether he weighs 170 (pounds) or 175, I know this: he doesn't take many big hits. It's hard to hit a guy who you can't catch and all the rest of it. He's tough, too. He goes over the middle. He catches balls inside. You've got to be tough to be a punt returner. He's fearless, fast, explosive, (has) great hands (and) runs really good routes. He is probably one of the better route runners that we will play all year long, too. There is nothing that he doesn't do very well."

On defending Jackson's speed

"There are not too many players in all of football who could fight his speed with their speed. I think you've got to be sound (technically). You've got to know what he's about, first of all. You've got to defend the deep part of the field well. You can't take plays off, and you've got to know what he wants to do and try to stop that from happening. Certainly, if you can disrupt the rhythm of the passing game somehow, whether that be disrupting (QB Donovan) McNabb in the pocket or trying to have a couple guys near him so that he can't just look over there and see him wide open and hit him. He's a huge problem, but there are so many of them. (RB Brian) Westbrook is going to play; (RB LeSean) McCoy and (FB Leonard) Weaver, all of them are good backs; (WR Brent) Celek is their leading receiver; (WR Jeremy) Maclin has made a bunch of big plays; (WR Jason) Avant is as physical a slot receiver as we'll play all season; and their (offensive) line does a great job of protecting. It's not like you can just take away one thing and say we're okay. You've got to defend everybody."

On looking for insight on Philadelphia from RB Correll Buckhalter and S Brian Dawkins

"I think that goes on most of the time if you've got somebody who is familiar with a team, a former team that they've played with. Anything that they can help us with in terms of the look we're getting in practice or something that may help us prepare better, we're certainly willing to listen to them and take their information and apply it."

On if he wants Broncos wide receivers to have more balanced catch totals

"You just want production. If one guy had 200 catches and we're real productive, we're throwing for a high completion percentage and making yards and scoring points-you do what's working. You do what's moving the ball. We've never been shy about throwing the ball to anybody in our offense. I'm not looking for a specific variance between No. 1's catches, No. 2's catches and No. 3's catches. They could all have the same number as far as I'm concerned, or we could have a little bit of a different deal. When you look at (WR Eddie) Royal and (WR Jabar) Gaffney, a lot of times they're splitting that position. Between the two of them, (they have) 80 catches. (WR Brandon) Marshall has got 90-something. It's close."

On establishing the running game to open up the passing attack

"Any time you're running the football and you can stay balanced, then you've got a lot more things that are going to be open to you in the passing game. Our ability to continue to run the ball for four quarters, obviously, will help us in the passing game. It has during the course of the season all year. It certainly will be no different this week."

On if he is concerned that Dawkins' is overwhelmed with the emotion of returning to play his former team

"No, I don't think-I know how he is. He's the ultimate professional, in my opinion. He's going to get himself ready to go. He's going to be himself. Emotion has always played a part in his preparation (and) has always played a part in his leadership. His energy and enthusiasm and what he does, I think that affects our team in a positive way. I think it affects him in a positive way. I wouldn't expect him to do anything different. Might he feel a little bit more emotion this week? Sure, I think that would be natural."

On Philadelphia's fans reacting warmly to Dawkins return

"He and ‘Buck'(halter) both played a large role in a lot of the success that they've had over the years. I'm sure that those people in Philadelphia appreciate both of them greatly, and they should. I'm sure they feel the same about their experience there. They were at a great organization with a great coaching staff, great owner, and I'm sure both of them really relished the time that they were there. It'll probably be very exciting for them to go back there and see a lot of old faces, and hopefully, play well."

QB KYLE ORTON

On what has contributed the Philadelphia defense's high interception total

"(Their) scheme, talent, they're very aggressive and like you said, they've got talented guys on the outside. They have guys who if you do throw it to them, they catch it and certainly make a lot of plays after they do (intercept) it. (CB Asante) Samuel, (CB Sheldon) Brown and the safeties, they all can cover a lot of ground and make a lot of plays on the balls in the air."

On his mindset following the loss to Oakland

"(It's on) Philadelphia. That's the only place it can be. This team presents so many problems that if your mind is anywhere else, you won't be ready to go."

On if Philadelphia is the toughest place to play in the NFL

"There are a lot of tough places to play. Certainly, (as) an offense working against their defense, you have to have so much communication because of all the things they do that it is tough. There is a ton of communication that is going to have to go on this week to pick up the blitz (and) to pick up all the different looks that they bring. It'll certainly be a bigger issue with all of the crowd noise."

On Philadelphia's fans

"They're good ones. Guys love that stuff. You love when you go on the road and the fans are nasty and they're in your face and all that stuff. Guys love to play in that kind of stuff."

On if he has a natural tendency to pass to WR Brandon Marshall more than other receivers

"No, I go through my reads, and a lot of times, he's the guy who I'm going to. He does a great job of getting open. No, I try to just continue to go through my reads, and if he's the one that's open, then I'll give him the ball."

On if he has forced the ball to Marshall

"I haven't tried to force it to him, no. Certainly, in critical situations and you need a play, you're going to go to your best guy, and he's our best guy, for sure. I'm not necessarily trying to force him the ball at all."

On if he is surprised by WR Eddie Royal's reception total

"I don't know. He's had games where he's had 10 or 11 catches and he's had games with no catches. Obviously, we'd like to get him the ball more consistently. He does such a nice job with it and certainly just kind of turns into that punt returner when he gets the ball. We'd like to get him the ball in space and let him make plays with it when it's in his hands."

On the defensive attention that Royal receives

"You'd have to go through and look at all the plays, but we'd like to get him the ball on a more consistent basis, for sure."

On the need to score points playing against Philadelphia's explosive offense

"You have to score points and hopefully, do it early to get the lead. I think this team that we're playing, they love to play with the lead so much, and they're so aggressive (defensively) that if they get the lead and they can put you into passing situations, you're going to see a blitz on every down at that point. If we can come out early, play well and be able to stay in phase and run the football, we should be able to slow down some of the things they like to do."

On Philadelphia's 36 takeaways this season

"They blitz so much that you have unblocked guys coming at the quarterback, and the quarterback has to get the ball out. There's no question about it, they blitz so many guys that you just can't pick it up. When the quarterback is under duress, he's trying to find open guys and they're trapping guys, they're jumping routes and Samuel is very playing aggressive and coming off of his guy to make a play on another guy. Everything is just coming at the quarterback so fast and they're extremely aggressive and smart in the back end trying to be just as aggressive and making plays."

On the offense when RB Correll Buckhalter is healthy

"It's shown to be better, and ‘Buck' has played great all year and has really hit some long runs for us and has done a nice job. Hopefully, we get him back and have that one-two punch (with RB Knowshon Moreno)."

On the mental challenge facing Philadelphia's aggressive defense

"You don't want to throw the ball too quickly if you don't have to, and you don't want to hang on to it when you've got to get it out, so you've got to be on it every play and try to figure out as much as you can and get the ball to the right guy."

On Philadelphia's ability to disguise blitzes

"They do a great job. (They're) probably one of the best teams in the league at disguising their blitzes."

On the importance of establishing the running game against Philadelphia

"We'd love to get the running game (going). Like I said, we'd love to play with the lead. More than anything, we'd like to stay out of long-yardage situations and stay right in phase."

S BRIAN DAWKINS

On returning to Philadelphia

"It is a big game for us as a team, as an organization. We still have some things yet to be done and this is a huge game for us as a football team moving forward."

On his emotions on returning to Philadelphia

"My emotions are going to be where they are when the time comes. There is no use of me pouring out my emotions and all that stuff now because it is not going to do any good. When it is going to do good is when we touch the field and I'm everything I need to be for my teammates, using my emotion into that and not just relying on my emotion but allowing my emotions to enhance my play hopefully."

On the best part of playing for Philadelphia

"The best part? I don't know if there is one particular best part. I think anytime that you spend a long time in one place, you connect with teammates and the relationships that you form-me being a blessed man of God, the people that I've been able to come in contact with from a spiritual aspect was always a blessing to be there when people come through there. Then, my connection with the fans is always something that I'll love (and) I'll cherish."

On why Philadelphia fans loved him so much

"Philly is a blue-collar place. They work hard for what they have in their families. Not saying that isn't everywhere, but you understand what I'm saying. They want someone to care as much as they do on the football field. If they don't feel like you are giving your all, if they don't feel like that and you are pulling yourself out on the field, then they are going to let you know about it. They aren't going to hold their tongues. They are going to let you know exactly how they feel. I've always played with my emotions on my shoulders, whether it was crying or whatever I feel like, that is what I let out. I've always been that way. I think that connected with them."

On the atmosphere playing at Philadelphia on Sunday

"It is going to be an electric atmosphere, I know that. It is going to be very hyped, but at the end of the day, once the whistle is blown on that first kickoff, after that first hit its football. I have to dial in, me and my teammates have to dial in. This is not just about me going back home. I know that is the story that you guys are going to write up, but this is about the Denver Broncos going in to Philadelphia, a tough place to play against a very good football team. That is where our focus needs to be."

On Sunday's game at Philadelphia

"It is going to be a fight. We have to make this a fight. I understand the attitude and the mood of what they are talking about in the meeting rooms and their mentality period as far as this time of the year. I understand that. At the end of the day, it is about execution. We have to go down and execute our game plans to a ‘T.' Whatever the coaches are asking us to do, we have to do it and do it with a belief that the things that they are asking us to do will give us a chance to win the ballgame. If we do that, we'll put ourselves in position, and we'll see what happens."

On how to slow down Philadelphia WR DeSean Jackson

"You have to limit him. You have to limit, especially, his yards after (the) catch because he is going to catch footballs. He is a dynamic football player (with) speed, agility, quickness and all that good stuff. The thing that you have to do is, when he does catch the ball, limit his yards after catch. That means having tight coverage. That means making open field tackles at some point on him. That is going to be a total defensive effort."

On RB Brian Westbrook's contribution to Philadelphia's running game

"He doesn't just add something to the running game; he is a weapon all over the field. They split him out at receiver. They get him the ball in screens. They use him in so many different ways. He is not just a running back. Having that dimension back in that offense is huge. We have to make sure we pay attention to him when he gets in the football game. He is definitely somebody-and I don't have to tell anybody this-that you can't take him for granted at all because at any given moment, he is a special guy and he can light you up."

On his relationship with Westbrook

"He is one of my best friends on the team, and I'm constantly in contact with him. There were a lot of prayers sent up by me for him going through what he has been going through with those concussions and other injuries that have seemed to creep up on him."

On his relationship with QB Donovan McNabb

"(We have a) great relationship. I have a great relationship (with McNabb). I know he is just like anybody else coming into Philadelphia that has played there in the past. He is going to attack me. If you give him the opportunity, he is going to throw the ball my way and see if he can fit it in there. He is a guy who loves to play the game, he loves to step up to challenges and he likes to have a good time on the field. Like I said, I don't expect him to do anything differently than they would do with anybody else. Given the opportunity, he is going to throw my way."

On what it will be like to come out of the visiting locker room and tunnel at Philadelphia

"I don't know. We'll see once I get there."

On his favorite memory playing for Philadelphia

"My favorite memory of them is just the party, the celebration we had after we beat Atlanta to go to the Super Bowl (in 2004) after failing so many times before. What that celebration was for the fans and for the coaches and to see the tears flowing in the stands with the fans-because we didn't win the Super Bowl but we had fallen short to get to that point so many times-that will be something that I'll always remember."

On if this is the most explosive Philadelphia's offense has been during his career

"They were pretty explosive our Super Bowl year (in 2004) when (Buffalo WR) Terrell (Owens) was there. I think that they were doing everything they wanted to do then. They have the personnel to do it (now), so (Head Coach Andy Reid) is opening that thing wide open.

Desean Jackson named NFC special teams player of the month

JasonB — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:00:28 -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)

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Just a day after Kevin Kolb took home player of the week honors, Desean Jackson grabs another accolade...

Wide receiver DeSean Jackson has been named the NFC's Special Teams Player of the Month for September.

Jackson returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown in the season opener against the Carolina Panthers. He currently leads the entire NFL in punt return average (22.2 yards per return).

Funny enough, P Sav Rocca won the special teams player of the month for September last year...

Eagles win comfortably 34-14 over Chiefs

JasonB — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:04:55 -0000

More photos » by Michael Perez - AP

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The game was a blowout. Kevin Kolb was sat down in the second half. Jeff Garcia was inserted into the game.

If you had been given all those facts and not the final score... who would you have said won this game? Probably not the Eagles... but the boys in green were victorious on the back of a dominating defensive performance and a great showing from QB Kevin Kolb.

The Eagles defense from week one reappeared sacking Matt Cassel 3 times and holding Kansas City to just under 200 yards of total offense. The offense was equally terrific scoring 30+ and racking up 420 yards of total offense. In his second career start Kevin Kolb was 24 of 34 for 327 yards, 2 passing TDs, and a rushing TD. Most importantly he didn't turn the ball over. He looked like a starting NFL quarterback out there, and a pretty good one at that. Actually, Kevin Kolb is the first QB in NFL history to throw for over 300 yards in his first two starts.

Much more after the jump

Action Jackson in full effect

Another great game from Desean Jackson. As of this writing he is leading the league in receiving today with 149 yards on 6 catches and a TD. His touchdown pass came on a quick slant that was threaded between two guys, Desean broke one tackle and then split the KC safeties as he streaked down the middle of the field for a TD. It was a quintessential west coast offense TD. Quick slant, run after the catch, touchdown.

Fearsome front 7

The Eagles front 7 were absolutely stifling. They ate up any run that came their way, and any time Cassel dropped back to pass he had someone in his face. It was amazing to watch after what happened last week. It didn't even look like the same team. They were absolutely dominant.

Maybe the best stat you'll hear today

If we put aside that last meaningless fumble by Garcia at the end of the game... The Eagles offense had no penalties, gave up no sacks, and didn't turn the ball over once. We saw a disciplined, smart, and effective Eagles offense in what was their best performance of the year to date. There's still improvements to be made, 3rd down efficiency could be better and they settled for FGs a few times... but those complaints are minor in the context of the game today. The Eagles were dominant throughout.

Return of the Rocca

Over the first couple weeks of the year, Sav Rocca had been wildly inconsistent. He hit a boomer one play and shank on the next... Special teams coach Ted Daisher challenged Rocca this week and Sav responded with a really solid game. Speaking of special teams... the penalties that plauged them last week were gone.

Rookie watch

The Eagles started 3 rookies today, including Jeremy Maclin and Lesean McCoy for their first NFL starts. Maclin had 4 catches for 33 yards, McCoy looked very good rushing for 84 yards at 4.2 per attempt and a TD. Macho Harris added 4 tackles.

Gotta give it up to Brent Celek

Anyone who regularly reads the site knows I had my doubts about Celek coming into this year. It's not as if I thought he was a bad player, I just thought we could really upgrade the TE position... Now? I'm not so sure. Celek has had a fantastic start to the year and turned in yet another great performance today. 8 catches, 104 yards, and a TD. He's clearly a favorite target of Kevin Kolb and the amount effort he puts in on every play is impressive. Celek seems to have taken the next step this year, he's been fantastic. Right now, he's leading all NFL TEs in catches.

Eagles lose to Saints 48-22

JasonB — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:04:58 -0000

More photos » by Mel Evans - AP

3 months ago: New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey (88) is tackled by Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Macho Harris in the second quarter an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

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The Eagles were involved in a second straight blowout game against an NFC South team, but this time they were on the wrong end of the beating. The Saints offense did pretty much whatever they wanted all day and the Eagles special teams was absolutely terrible. The offense certainly wasn't great, but is much lower on the list of reasons this game got out of hand.

The defense, who was stifling and so active against the Panthers did a complete 180 today. Rarely got pressure, were beat short, long, in the red zone, out of the red zone... Just altogether terrible. It's hard to even point out a guy or a unit that was more at fault than the others.

The special teams was almost equally terrible, when they weren't turning the ball over they were committing a penalty that left the offense with terrible field position. Plus, Sav Rocca was absolutely terrible today.

On offense, the team did manage 20 points... which isn't really good or bad. Generally, that's a fair representation for how the offense played. Not very good or very bad. They did move the ball, they did make some plays, and they certainly showed some interesting stuff with the wildcat.

Of course, I'm sure everyone will also want to talk about Kevin Kolb... We'll get into that after the break.

I'm going to put the last couple drives aside. Kolb added a bunch of yards and catches along with a couple picks to his stats. None of that is terribly significant to me. So while stat line shows 3 picks and almost 400 yards passing, he wasn't that good or bad. The end of the game inflated his stats both negatively and positively.

He did made some really good throws in this game. He showed much better decision making overall and looked tough out there standing in for some big hits to make a play. He also made a terrible decision on the pick at the start of the second half. He looked at the WR the whole way, didn't see the defender, and threw an easily picked pass. And while I don't think the end of the game mattered, you still don't want to see a guy fall back into bad habits and make poor throws from bad positions. Kolb was good today when he set his feet, made smart throws, and knew when to throw it away if need be. He needs to keep doing that even if you are playing out the string and airing out against a prevent D.

I will give him credit for generally playing well under pressure today. The offense line didn't give him a ton of time and Kolb was often running from defenders. He did much better against pressure today than he has in the past.

I thought for his first NFL start that Kolb looked capable out there. I don't think he proved that he's definitely the future of the franchise, but he didn't embarrass himself either. As first starts go, that wasn't so bad. The bar starts to rise from here on out though. Today's performance won't always be considered good enough.

One thing I can say without a shadow of a doubt is that the loss of McNabb isn't what lost this game for the Eagles. If you blame that or blame Kolb, I have to wonder whether you're trying to convince yourself that the defense can't be this bad...

I don't think the defense is this bad, but then again I think it's fair to say that D isn't as good as they looked last week. Hopefully, we'll see them settle into reality in the coming weeks and not see this wild inconsistency.

Aussies clash in NFC title game

JasonB — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:00:08 -0000

In 19 days the first Australian to ever play in the Superbowl will trot out on the field in Tampa.

No, I'm not being overconfident and guaranteeing that Sav Rocca and the Eagles will win this weekend. The Cardinals also feature an Aussie punter, Ben Graham, which guarantees one former AFL star will play in the NFL's big game.

Sav's brother Anthony, who still plays in Australia for Sav's former club the Collingwood Magpies, is excited for his brother.

"I've spoken to Sav and he's really excited about the way the team is playing and the fact they have advanced further in the playoffs,'' the Magpies forward said.

"But they're not in the Super Bowl yet, they have to beat Arizona. He's had a good season and is enjoying the experience and it would be great if they could win again and reach the Super Bowl.

"Plenty of the Collingwood boys have been keeping a close eye on how he's been going and will be watching the next game with a lot of interest.''

Sav's bro plans to make the trip to Tampa if indeed the Eagles win this weekend.

The NFC title game will be shown at 7am on Monday in Austrailia.

Eagles come up inches short, lose 10-3

JasonB — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:49:02 -0000

A play to define a season

A tease of something good only to come up just a it short at the very end. That was the final play of the game, that was the season.

The Eagles offense we suffered through most of November watching returned today. They were shut out in the first half, got a field goal after a big play where the Redskins had a defensive lineman covering Westbrook, and that was that. The only other drive where the Eagles offense showed anything was the final one... and that led to nothing.

Calling out the goats

Desean Jackson - 4 drops on the day including 2 deep passes in the 4th quarter, one of which would have been the game tying touchdown.

Donovan McNabb - Several things conspired for this game to be a tough one for McNabb. Calling 48 pass plays on a windy day without two key WRs certainly didn't make this game easy on him. Having his WR drop 7 passes didn't help and neither did the fact that it seemed open receivers were hard to find. That said, clearly McNabb was not at his best today. Several key throws ended up in the dirt, there was a play early where Avant had beat his coverage and was wide open for what probably would have been 6 points but McNabb sailed it long, there was the fumble... McNabb wasn't terrible, but he wasn't good enough.

Sav Rocca - 8 punts for an average of less than 40 yards and only one ending up inside the 20.

Asante Samuel - We didn't pay you $57 million to drop a sure fire pick. Campbell gifted that one to you and you dropped it. Just like most passes that were in the hands of Eagles today.

Andy Reid - 48 called pass plays. Twelve run plays. One end around. On a windy day where this team was without two key recievers, where the recievers that were healthy couldn't get open, and when they did dropped the ball. It's a joke to be that pass heavy. We never even tried to run.

Despite it all... Eagles still in it

Despite the fact that they squandered their chance to control their own destiny, the Eagles still have a shot at the postseason. If Tampa loses to Oakland and the Eagles beat Dallas they'll be in. If Tampa beats Oakland, both the Eagles and Cowboys will be out. Unless the Eagles/Cowboys game is moved to Sunday night(which it likely won't), that game will be played at the same time as the Tampa game.

[Note by JasonB, 12/21/08 7:56 PM EST ] Correction, if Dallas wins they're in.

And given the way Dallas looked this week and the way the Eagles looked this week... That game isn't looking like a very exciting affair. Neither team appears to want to be in the postseason.

The Redskins were eliminated today. So I hope they enjoyed their celebration. :)

Eagles v Bengals - What they're saying

JasonB — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:20:58 -0000

Quintin Mikell delivered a pretty hit on Bengals WR Antonio Chatman that ended up with Chatman being carted off the field on a stretcher. Mikell said he felt bad for celebrating the hit before he knew Chatman was still hurt.

"I felt bad," Mikell said after the Eagles' 13-13 tie with the Bengals. "I was celebrating and I was sorry because I didn't know what happened."

"After I saw him on the ground, I was really worried," Mikell said.

The refs made a terrible call on a roughing the passer penalty in overtime on Sheldon Brown that moved the Bengals within striking distance of a game winning FG. Brown was flagged for leading with his helmet, despite the replays showing he clearly did not.

"I really don't want to get into officiating," Brown said. "My job is to play the game. I don't play the game to be dirty. I don't play the game to hurt people. I just play it through the whistle. The league will probably see it that way . . . I think I hit him with the shoulder pad. We wear shoulder pads for a reason."

"I believe in protecting the quarterback - I do believe in that," said Brown, which is farther than most defensive players will go. "And I do believe in protecting players. But when it's crunch time, this situation is almost like a basketball game where they let the tick-tack foul go and they let the players determine [the outcome].

"But . . . when it's happening fast, the official has a job to do. He's going to call it like he sees it. I can't argue that."

Despite the poor call putting them within 50 yards of a game winning FG, Bengals kicker Shayne Graham pushed it wide.

"I thought I hit it good," he said. "It started out inside the upright. I guess I didn't play the wind enough. It's hard to explain. I just didn't make the kick, but that's what I am supposed to do. I feel bad for these guys because they really fought hard today and our defense did a great job."

Sav Rocca, who has been fantastic this year, had a really bad day yesterday.

"I was just trying to get them between the hash[mark] and the boundary, but that wind just kept dragging it across, and they went out of bounds, obviously," Rocca said of his late boots. "That's probably the hardest wind I've had to punt in."

The game started with a west-southwesterly wind measured at 15 mph that knocked the 38-degree temperature down to a 29-degree wind-chill reading.

"I tried to lower my ball drop a little bit" to drive through the wind, Rocca said. "I couldn't get any to come off right. Obviously, you want to put your best punt down there, so you can give your team the best opportunity."

Yesterday I wondered why Jim Johnson left Joselio Hanson to cover TJ Houshmandzadeh on the TD play rather than sticking Asante Samuel on him. It sounds like TJ was wondering the same thing.

"It was easy, the nickel guy was playing me outside; it was real simple," Houshmandzadeh said. "You (media) probably could have scored on that one."

Finally, Trent Cole had a big day in his return to his hometown.

"I saw people I know in the stands hooting and hollering for me," Cole said.

About his sacks and pressure, Cole said, "They put the tight end on my side. So I was down over the tight end and getting a double team. Later they used a guard to help the tackle against me."

Who is the Eagles biggest first half surprise?

JasonB — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:22:45 -0000

The Eagles have completed 8 regular season games and therefore have hit the mid point of their season... So I figured it would be a good time to take a little poll on who we think has been the biggest surprise of the first here. Here are the nominees.

Darren Howard - This is a guy whose place on the team was in serious doubt coming into training camp. Many fans wanted to keep Jerome McDougle over him... Fast forward to right now and Darren Howard is leading the team in sacks with 6.5. That's the 5th most in the NFC. Howard's versatility rushing the passer from both the inside and outside is exactly what the Eagles expected to get when they signed him to a big free agent contract in 2006.

Desean Jackson - A second round pick that's leading the team in recieving has to be considered a suprise. Jackson leads all NFL rookies in recieving yards and he's second in receptions. He also leads all rookies in return TDs and punt returns over 40 yards. Halfway through the season, Jackson is a legit rookie of the year candidate and a major weapon on this offense.

Sav Rocca - Last year we saw some promise from the Austrailian but we also saw quite a bit of inconsistency. Not this year... Rocca is in the top 5 in the NFC in punting average and punts inside the 20. He leads the NFC and is second in the NFL in punts placed inside the 10. Rocca has always had the big leg, but his directional punting and ability to place punts have improved by leaps and bounds this year.

Juqua Parker - Most of us were happy to have Juqua around as a backup or situational type defensive end... but how many of us can say we were comfortable with him as a starter? 9 weeks ago not all of us, but right now we all are. Juqua is having a career year with 4.5 sacks plus and INT for a TD. Aside from just the sacks, Juqua has brought constant pressure and has really become that threat opposite Trent Cole that we all wanted last year. Teams can no longer double team or pay attention only to Cole. Parker has become a legit threat on the other side of the line.

Those are my nominations for the biggest surprise of the first half. Did I miss anyone? Feel free to write in someone in the comments.

Poll

Who is the biggest surprise of the first half of the 2008 season?

Darren Howard

219 votes

Sav Rocca

71 votes

Juqua Parker

94 votes

Desean Jackson

258 votes

642 votes | Poll has closed

Sav Rocca named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month

JasonB — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:00:11 -0000

For his excellent performance in the first quarter of the season, our own Aussie import Sav Rocca has been named NFC special teams player of the month. Good on ya Sav!

Eagles punter Sav Rocca will be named NFC Special Teams player of month tomorrow. Rocca led the NFL with a 44.1 net average in September, including punts of 65 yards (a career long), 64 and 61. He also placed seven of his 18 punts (39%) inside the 20-yard line. Rocca becomes the first Eagles punter to earn player of the month honors. Eagles K David Akers twice earned those honors in November 2000 and October 2007.

	Punting
	G	Punts	Yds	AVG	Lng	In20	TB
2008 - Sav Rocca	4	18	829	46.1	65	7	1

Eagles dominate Rams 38-3

JasonB — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:08:20 -0000

What more can you ask out of team in its first game than what the Eagles did today? Absolutely fantastic performance in all facets of the game from the Birds today. The offense hitting on multiple big plays, the defense smothering, and the special teams turning in maybe the best performance I've seen from the Eagles in years.

Onto the headlines!

It always come down to Donovan

You don't need to look any further than the first pass Desean Jackson caught to see the difference in McNabb from this year to last year. Last year, he simply would not have thrown that pass. How many times did we all say that it looked like a guy had to be wide open for McNabb to throw it to him last year? Not today though... He was still as smart as ever with the ball, but he trusted his recievers to make plays and he trusted himself to make a throw to a guy that wasn't wide open. McNabb threw for more yards today than he has on any opening day in his career... and he only played a little over 3 quarters.

Now McNabb certainly had plenty of help today... The offensive line gave him all day to throw(he was not sacked), his WRs ran free play after play and made tough catches when they needed to. Plus, look at how helpful it was for McNabb to have a healthy LJ Smith, who hauled in 5 passes including a TD.

For anyone thinking the Eagles would struggle without their top 2 WRs... For the first time since 1960 the Eagles had 3 WRs with over 100 yards. It was just that kind of day

McNabb finished the day 21-33 for 361 yards and 3 TDs. He also now owns the lowest interception percentage in NFL history. That's the least amount of INTs per pass attempt in NFL history.

Defense nearly perfect

Actually, the Eagles first team defense pitched a shutout. The Rams scored their FG against the

The Eagles defense held the Rams to just 87 yards of total offense in the first half. Pressure was the name of the game and the Eagles front 7 simply imposed their will on the Rams. Against the run, against the pass... the Eagles defense played on the Rams side of the ball and disrupted everything they tried to do. Bulger had no time to let anything develop, Steven Jackson had someone in his face whenever he touched the ball...

It's hard to single out any one guy on the defense who stood out. This was just one of those games where everyone did their job well. The Rams didn't score until there were 9 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter

Desean's dazzling debut

The rookie from Cal was the unquestioned standout of the preseason and so far it looks like that was no fluke. Desean showed no signs of slowing down as he turned in quite possibly the best debut from an Eagles rookie WR ever. Forget rookie WR, that was one of the best debuts from any Eagle rookie period. He was a constant threat on both offense and special teams racking up 206 total yards.

Jackson led the team with 6 catches for 106 yards averaging over 17 yards a catch. Desean is the first rookie to go over 100 yards recieving on opening day since Anquan Boldin.

Special teams looking special

I can't say enough about how well the special teams played as a unit today. Much of that success started with Sav Rocca. Three of his four punts ended up with the Rams pinned inside their own 20(2 inside the 5). There was tremendous hang time, smart angled punts, and heads up coverage on two plays from Quintin Demps.

Desean Jackson took about a half to get his feet under him as an NFL punt returner. He made some questionable decisions in the first half... but really hit his stride in the second. On consecutive returns in the 3rd quarter he had an 18 yard return that was one man away from probably going for 6 and a 69 yard return that gave the Eagles first and goal.

Eagles fans do us proud

I lost count of how many times the Rams offensive line jumped offsides. Certainly part of that was due to the job the Eagles front seven did penetrating play after play... but the fan factor can not be discounted. The crowd was loud, proud and made it difficult for the Rams' lineman to hear anything. Big assist to the Philly faithful for this win.

Ironic play of the day

How about the guy the Eagles brought in to play fullback but moved to defensive line lead blocking for a guy the Eagles brought in to play RB but moved to fullback? Dan Klecko paved the way for Tony Hunt's goal line TD run in the 3rd quarter.

Poll

Who is your player of the game for opening day?

Donovan McNabb - 361 yds, 3 TDs

485 votes

Brian Westbrook - 91 yds rushing, 2 TDs

2 votes

Desean Jackson - 6 rec, 106 yds - 97 return yds

178 votes

The whole defense

116 votes

781 votes | Poll has closed