SB Nation - Chris Clemons

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)

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

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

by Matt Slocum - AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Linc - No illegal hit on McNabb

JasonB — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:00:46 -0000

More photos » by Rick Havner - AP

3 months ago: Philadelphia Eagles' Donovan McNabb (5) falls into the end zone for a touchdown in the third quarter as Carolina Panthers' Richard Marshall (31) and Quinton Teal (26) defend during an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009. McNabb was injured on the play. (AP Photo/Rick Havner)

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NFL: No illegal hit on McNabb | Philadelphia Daily News | 09/14/2009
The NFL has reviewed the play that led to Donovan McNabb's rib injury and ruled there was "no illegal hit on the play," a league spokesman told the Daily News today in an email.

The League Panelists: Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback Donovan McNabb fractured ribs against Carolina Panthers, and Eagles shouldn't play him - Mackie Shilstone
If McNabb plays, his ribs will have bulls eyes on them.

McNabb's injury creates questions | Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/14/2009
The obvious question wasn't the only question after Donovan McNabb left yesterday's season opener against the Carolina Panthers with a fractured rib. The obvious one: When will McNabb be able to play again?

Eagles handily win battle of lines | Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/13/2009
In one city, they were talking about the continuity of their team's offensive line and the fact that the same five starters were together for the second straight opener. In the other city, the sky was apparently falling because off-season moves and injuries had left that team's line fractured and seemingly patched together. Guess which unit had the better season opener?

More after the jump

Adrian Peterson, Drew Brees not only stars of NFL Week 1 - Peter King - SI.com
Desean Jackson's the luckiest man on the face of the earth, Week 1 version. He broke open the Eagles-Panthers game with an 85-yard punt-return for touchdown in the second quarter at Charlotte, and he was barely touched on it. But one of the reasons he was barely touched was a how-did-they-miss-it illegal-block-in-the-back by Philly's Chris Clemons as the return just got up and running. The return, up the left side on an otherwise well-blocked play, gave Philadelphia a 17-7 lead, and the Eagles basically just grinded out the win from there.

Jackson breaks loose on 85-yard punt return | Philadelphia Inquirer | 09/13/2009
The Eagles have only one wide receiver who could catch just two passes for 9 yards and still have a major impact on the outcome of a game. His name: DeSean Jackson.

Video: Analyzing McNabb's injury - NFC East - ESPN
ESPN's Trent Dilfer talks about how difficult it will be for Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb to play with a rib injury.

Panthers Watch 2009: Jake Delhomme steps up for the 49ers - Niners Nation
Our pals over the 49ers blog Niners Nation were especially happy to see the Eagles win yesterday.

The Linc - Chris Clemons, Jason Peters, & Winners/Losers from Eagles camp

JasonB — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:02:18 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

Browse more photos »

Clemons set to step in at defensive end for Eagles | Philadelphia Daily News | 08/12/2009
Chris Clemons, a free-agent disappointment at last year's camp who started to come on late last season, is prominent in the mix of guys looking to distinguish themselves in the preseason.

The Jason Peters interview - NFC East - ESPN
Matt Mosely had a chance to visit with new left tackle Jason Peters. We talked about some of the differences between the Bills and Eagles organizations.

FOOTBALL OUTSIDERS: Football analysis and NFL stats for the Moneyball era - Authors of Football Outsiders Almanac 2009
Football Outsiders pays tribute to Jim Johnson

Wing Tips " WINNERS AND LOSERS AT LEHIGH
Geoff Mosher lists his winners and losers at Eagles' training camp

Bradley Has Fans Atwitter | Philadelphia Daily News | 08/12/2009
Eagles middle linebacker Stewart Bradley is not saying he will be back from a torn ACL for the playoffs, even though his Twitter feed did say that.

PhillyBurbs.com: DiMichele may get some playing time
The former Temple quarterback has been working out with his brothers and doing some painting in his spare time since the Eagles released him in the spring.

Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp Preview - Defensive End

JasonB — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:07:59 -0000

View full size photo »

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.

Here we are on our 9th position preview and we've finally got ourselves a starting job that is truly up for grabs. While the right defensive end spot is locked down, the left defensive end spot should be an entertaining battle at Lehigh.

The Bodies

Victor Abiamiri, Chris Clemons, Trent Cole, Darren Howard, Juqua Parker, Bryan Smith.

Presumed Starters

At this point, I think we can say that Cole is the only guy who can be safely assumed as a starter. While Juqua Parker has started at left end for a couple of years now, young guys like Victor Abiamiri and Bryan Smith will be making serious pushes for playing time. In fact, I think if you ask Eagles management who they'd like to see win the starting LDE job... they'd tell you it was Abiamiri.

Back to Trent Cole... The Hunter has been a model of consistency over the past 3 years averaging just about 10 sacks per season and playing nearly every defensive snap over that time. He's also developed into nearly as good a run stopper as he is as a pass rusher. That 2 way DE is becoming more and more of a rare breed in the NFL with so many teams playing the 3-4 or employing smaller/faster pass rush specialists. Cole is certainly one of a handful of guys in the NFL that excels at both.

New additions

None.

What to watch for

The big thing to watch at this camp will be the battle for the starting left defensive end job. While Chris Clemons & 2nd year man Bryan Smith will be in the mix, the battle should really come down to incumbent starter Juqua Parker and 3rd year man Victor Abiamiri. The start of VA's career was plauged by various injuries, most recently his wrist which kept him out of the first half of last season. When he did get the chance to play however, he was pretty impressive playing both inside and out and displaying power and a knack for getting into the backfield. At 6'4 and around 270 Abiamiri has the size to be a run stopper while still having the speed to get to the QB. Plus, with speedy pass rush specialists like Clemons and Smith backing him up, VA has the ability to move inside on passing downs and rush from the inside.

Parker has been a solid and relatively productive member of the Eagles for several years now. The concern with him is that he seems to wear down as the season goes on, which would lead us to believe he might be better served as a backup where he doesn't play as many snaps. Last year 4.5 of his 5 sacks came in the first half of the year. 2007 was the same story with all 5 of his sacks coming in the first 8 games he played.

The table is certainly set for Abiamiri to make that LDE spot his own, will he finally be healty enough to do it?

Some other quick things to watch. The development of second year man Bryan Smith, who finished last preseason with a very impressive game against the Jets but rarely made the active roster during the season. Also Chris Clemons, who after he got healthy last year actually became one of the team's best defensive playmakers down the stretch.

Previous position previews

Interior Offensive Line

Offensive Tackles

Defensive Tackles

Eagles Notes - Chris Clemons, Brian Dawkins, and Adrian Peterson's #1 fear

JasonB — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:09:17 -0000

Chris Clemons, who was named NFC defensive player of the week, has been on quite a tear in the second half of the season. He's played more and more snaps since midseason and has translated that increased playing time into increased production. Jim Johnson has taken note.

He was banged up a little bit and got off to a bad start, and I think the confidence of not knowing the defense was there," Johnson said. "The more he got to work at that position - we worked him in the joker a little bit - he felt more comfortable. I think the last six or seven weeks, he's really come around pretty good. He just missed a lot of training camp, and not being in shape also hurt him."

If the Eagles can stop the Vikings rush attack on first and second downs and force pass situations on 3rd downs... Clemons will be a big part of Johnsons' efforts to confuse and rattle young Vikings' QB Tavaris Jackson.

When Adrian Peterson was asked who on the Eagles defense do the Vikings need to neutralize, he was pretty clear.

"Cole," the Vikings running back said on a conference call the other day, referring to defensive end Trent Cole. "He's a beast, man. You see what he does coming off the edge. He makes a lot of plays. He's a guy who goes 100 miles an hour on every play. That's a guy you definitely have to account for."

Brian Dawkins is another, Peterson added. "With Dawkins," he said, "not only does he lay the wood on you coming north and south, he's also a ball searcher. He's coming in and trying to create turnovers."

When the Eagles traveled to Minnesota last year, Peterson was held to just 70 yards on 20 carries.

Eagles stroll to 30-10 win over Browns

JasonB — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 05:06:15 -0000

Never in doubt

There were some frustrating moments in this game. The call for Desean Jackson to throw a pass in the red zone, the potentially disastrous McNabb INT on the final play of the first half, McNabb missing a wide open LJ Smith in the end zone... but the fact is that the game was never in doubt. They scored on the opening possession and the lead more or less just grew from there on out. The Browns didn't score until a Kevin Kolb pass was tipped and returned for 6 in garbage time. The Eagles offense moved the ball with ease all night, although it sputtered in the red zone a few times... and the defense was absolutely dominant

The Eagles did not punt until there were 7 minutes remaining in the game.

McNabb looking sharp

Pretty bizarre to see a game with 3 INTs all thrown by different guys. I can't imagine that's happened too many times in NFL history.

The story of the night was Donovan McNabb just being on his game. He simply looked effortless tonight. I don't know if the Eagles planned to go pass heavy tonight or just decided to keep in in McNabb's hands because he was throwing so well. Tonight McNabb was 26 of 35 for 290 yards and 2 TDs. HIs QB rating finished up at 105.7

His WRs had a great night as well. Desean Jackson rebounded from his shutout against the Giants with a big night with 5 catches for 77 yards. Jason Avant had a career night with 5 catches for 101 yards. The McNabb to Avant connection was a big part of the reason they were so good on 3rd down tonight.

Defense with another great effort

Another week, another big effort from the Eagles' D. The defense held the Browns' offense to just three points on the opening drive of the game. In fact, the Browns never even got inside the red zone after that first drive of the game and only crossed the 50 yard line once after that. The only other Browns points came on a defensive TD late in the game. The Eagles came up with a defensive TD of their own in the form of an Asante Samuel pick 6 in the second quarter. Stewart Bradley added a pick later on as well. The Browns managed just 196 yards of total offense and Ken Dorsey was sacked twice.

Trent Cole had one sack and generally abused pro bowler Joe Thomas all night. Chris Clemons got the pressure that led to the Samuel pick 6, and Quintin Demps got his first NFL sack.

Special teams special again

Here's a stat that sums up how well the special teams played tonight. The Browns did not start one drive inside Eagles territory. In fact, their best starting position was their own 35 yard line... The Browns great return man Josh Cribbs was completely nuetralized, both by great coverage and several huge kickoffs from David Akers.

On the other side, Quintin Demps made the most of his 3 returns averaging nearly 30 yards a pop.

David Akers continued his solid form with 3 FGs on the night.

Time to look ahead

Tonight was a comfortable, workman like win from the Eagles... but now it's time to move on. The Eagles have a short week with the free falling Redskins up next. The mission is the same today as it was yesterday. Just keep winning.

McNabb leads Eagles to Thanksgiving blowout of Cards 48-20

JasonB — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 05:28:38 -0000

This is why we watch these games every week.... because eventually we see a show like we saw tonight. Domination, redemption, elation....

McNabb pulled for Kolb again

For the second week in a row Kevin Kolb entered the game in relief of Donovan McNabb, but this time the circumstances couldn't have been more different. Donovan was sat after leading the Eagles to a spectacular Thanksgiving night blow out in what was his finest performance on the year. McNabb's final stats speak for themselves.

27/39, 260 yards, 4 TDs, 121.7 QB rating, and 24 yards rushing.

What a story of redemption for McNabb tonight. Only 4 days after being benched for the first time at any level of his career and coming off easily the worst 2 game stretch of his career McNabb puts on a virtuoso performance on a national stage against the playoff bound Arizona Cardinals.

There's really not much to say. I'm in awe of the guy. The guts and fortitude it must take to get over the couple of weeks he had and play like he did tonight are immeasurable. Tonight, I give thanks for you #5.

Who called the plays tonight?

The Eagles team we saw tonight was very much reminiscent of the hat ran the table in 2006 and made the playoffs after Marty Mornhinwheg was handed the playcalling duties. Several times the NFL network cameras showed Mornhinwheg on the sidelines studying the play chart and calling plays, not Reid. When Marty has had the chance to call this offense, it's clear that he has always put more emphasis on running the ball. Whether it be here in late 2006 or when he was OC in San Fran and they led the NFL rushing. Tonight was not simply a case of the team executing better. They certainly did that... but there was a new attitude and philosophy with the playcalling tonight. WE RAN THE BALL!

Ladies and gentleman, YOUR Philadelphia Eagles racked up 185 yards rushing tonight. When was the last time that happened? 39 passes, 37 runs(if you take out Kolb's kneeldowns). That is what a balanced offense gets you in the NFL.

It's all about commitment

How many times have I said this over the past couple weeks? When everyone said this offensive line couldn't open holes, that Westbrook was too hurt and that was the problem... All those things were factors, but I consistently said that no team that doesn't commit to running the ball will ever be successful doing so. Tonight was proof of that. The Eagles committed to running the ball from the first time they touched it and it paid dividends throughout the game. It's not that telling when Brian Westbrook has a great game like he did tonight. 22 carries, 110 yards, 4 TDs... We know he can be that good... but when guys like Kyle Eckel and Lorenzo Booker are getting 5 and 6 yards a carry every time they touch the ball that's telling. By the 3rd quarter of this game the Eagles O-line had imposed their will on Arizona and it didn't matter who was running through the holes.

Speaking of Kyle Eckel... The biggest cheer of the night came when Eckel converted the Eagles first 3rd and 1. We all know 3rd and 1 has been an achilles heel for us this year and when the crowd saw the Eagles bring in a big back to run for a first down on 3rd and 1 the place erupted. Were you listening Andy?

Great job by Westbrook tonight and good jobs by Eckel and Booker who made the most out of every touch they got.

Defense breathing fire

This Eagles defense came to hit people tonight. Especially that secondary. Faced with arguably the best and most physically imposing WR tandem in football, Jim Johnson had his boys jamming them at the line and punishing them whenever they did catch the ball. Sheldon Brown, Brian Dawkins, Quintin Mikell, and Joselio Hanson all delivered several big shots to Cardinal WRs after the catch. You certainly have to wonder whether the physical play of this secondary tonight had more than a little something to do with the Cards catching a case of the drops.

Despite getting pressure on Warner all night, the Eagles defense did not record a sack. However, they did it's job. The Eagles were able to generate pressure with their front four, namely from Cole and Clemons, which allowed them to sit more back in coverage and force Warner to quick throws rather than the down field stuff that has worked so well for Arizona this year.

Get this... Arizona only rushed for 25 yards tonight.

The Eagles defense forced 4 turnovers, including 3 picks off MVP candidate Kurt Warner and a recovery on one of 3 Arizona fumbles tonight. Brian Dawkins forced a fumble with a big hit on Anquan Boldin and tied the Eagles all time interception record with a late pick.

Lee-tow looking lost

Was anyone else surprised... or even shocked to see Joselio Hanson and not Lito Sheppard announced as the starter in place of the injured Asante Samuel?

If you were, you certainly understood why after watching the game. I thought Lito had one of the poorest games I've ever seen a corner on this team have tonight. All three Arizona TDs were thrown at him and he gave up a big gain to Larry Fitzgerald. I really don't know what has happened to Lito this year. Maybe being unseated as the starter has totally messed up his head or something... but right now I honestly don't think he should even be on the field. Look at his last few weeks. He had a shocking game tonight, gave up a 90 yard pass against the Seahawks and a big TD that arguably decided the Ravens game.

I remember before the year we all debated on whether it was Lito or Sheldon who should be unseated to make room for Samuel and which guy was the better corner... Certainly there can be no more argument any more. At this point is Lito better than Joselio Hanson? Not from what I saw tonight. Hanson was solid. So was Quintin Demps who was primarily a safety in college but saw a ton of time tonight playing as the 4th corner.

Give thanks to the Birds

It's not been a great season so far... but I wanna thank the Eagles for at least giving us a great end to our Thanksgiving holiday and for maybe giving us just that little sliver of hope that change could be on the way for this team.

Poll

Who gets your Madden 6 legged turkey for their performance on Thanksgiving?

Donovan McNabb

301 votes

Brian Westbrook

127 votes

Brian Dawkins

33 votes

Sheldon Brown

9 votes

470 votes | Poll has closed

Eagles tie Bengals 13-13

JasonB — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 02:44:59 -0000

Anyone remember the last time the Eagles tied a game? Exactly 11 years ago today on November 16th, 1997 when they tied the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore 10-10.

As the final second ticked off the clock today I recieved the following text messages.

Worst Game Ever

A tie? A F-ing tie!?

Sh*t

What a horrible boring game

Amazing how just a few characters sent electronically through the air can sum up the feelings of a city so well. A f-ing tie!?

So rare is a tie in the NFL that Donovan McNabb didn't even realize it was possible.

"I didn’t know that," said McNabb, who played a leading role in keeping it tied. "I’ve never been part of a tie. I never even knew it was in the rule book. I was looking forward to getting the opportunity to get out there and try to drive to win the game. But unfortunately with the rules, we settled with a tie."

Is he being serious? Is there anyone that didn't know games end in a tie after one overtime quarter? The last tie in the NFL was back in 2002.

How is this for a run pass ratio?

Donovan McNabb threw a career high 58 times. The Eagles running backs combined for 15 carries. 58-15. In total, the Eagles actually ran the ball 18 times with one being a McNabb QB sneak and two being Desean Jackson end arounds that netted three total yards. So the run pass ration in today's game was just about 75-25. That's absolutey ridiculous. What's worse is that this wasn't a game where the Eagles were down big and needed to throw to stage a comeback. The Bengals only scored 13 points and there was no time in this game that the Eagles were not within easy striking distance.

If we take this back a game and include the loss to the Giants, Donovan McNabb has thrown the ball 94 times and the Eagles running backs have carried the ball 30 times.This team isn't struggling to run the ball ladies and gentleman, they aren't even trying. When your running backs run the ball 15 times a game there's no way to tell whether your running is any good or not. You simply don't have one. No team running the ball 15 times a game will ever have an effective running game in this league... or an effective offense for that matter.

That is a failure of playcalling and there's no other way to look at it. Which brings us to our next headline...

McNabb was a problem, but not the problem

Let me get this out of the way. Donovan McNabb had one of his poorest games in an Eagles uniform. He completed less than half his passes, he was off target and wild all game, and he threw three interceptions which were ALL his fault. There's absolutely no excusing the kind of game he had today. He started off the game in the poor fashion we've become accustomed to this year but never got himself in the groove. He was just as bad at the end as he was at the start.

That said... Could someone explain to me the logic in throwing the ball nearly 60 times when your QB is playing that poorly? It's inexplicable, it's stubborn, it's illogical, and it's just plain stupid. Albert Einsten once said "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

I'd say it's official. Andy Reid is insane. Nothing is going to change either, Andy has made his philosophy regarding these situations very clear. "Just keep firing"

No matter how hurt your QB is(like last year), no matter how good or bad he is playing, no matter what the score, no matter the weather...

Just keep firing.

I wonder if Jeff Lurie is thinking Andy might have a good idea there?

Let's credit the defense

The only thing that made htis game even worth watching was the outstanding play of the Eagles defense. This unit was embarassed by the Giants last week and run on to the tune over 200 yards. Today, the Eagles shut down the Bengals run game, holding them to less than two yards a carry for the game and a total of 58 yards.

They also sacked Ryan Fitzpatrick eight times. This was a destruction on the part of the Eagles defense. The only thing they didn't do today was score... unfortuntalely.

Trent Cole was huge in his return to his hometown recording two sacks and generally creating havoc all day. Darren Howard continues his suprising season with two more sacks and like Cole was generally in the middle of the action whenever he was on the field. Chris Clemons also had a nice game today. He got a sack, played the run well, and played all over the formation. At different times I saw him at DE, outsider backer, and even playing LB in the middle in coverage. If he's going to play like this I hope we see him on the field more often from here on out.

I also have to give props to Stew Bradley who had another great game. That guy is one of the pieces we need to be building this team around. He's certianly one of the things that's "right" with this team this year.

More stubborness

Like Andy Reid, Jim Johnson is also set in his ways about certian things.

Asante Samuel had another great game shutting down whoever he covered and knocking down 4 passes. His stellar play all day made it pretty frustrating to see TJ Houshmenzadeh abusing Joselio Hanson play after play. Jim Johnson has generally always stuck his philosophy of having his corners play one side of the field and not reacting to where the WRs line up... but what sense does it make to stick Asante out to cover the Bengals #3 when they're lining up their hottest WR in the slot. Is it too much to ask to move Asante to wherever the other team's best WR is? Joselio Hanson isn't supposed to be able to shut down a guy like TJ, that's why Hanson is the team's 4th corner and Asante Smauel is one of the highest paid corners in the NFL.

Finally!

Is it me or is this the first time someone has missed a big kick against us in FOREVER? Just our luck that a guy misses a potential game winning FG with almost no time left and we still don't win the freaking game.

A tie is a loss

If you're looking for a way to explain this game or how to feel about it. That's it. A tie is a loss. It's that simple. Especially when you're playing a one win team and you're fighting for you playoff lives. A tie is a loss.

"I’ve never been in a tie, so I don’t know how this works in the standings," coach Andy Reid said. "I know it’s not good enough. We need wins, and this is not a win."

Eagles Notes: Klecko has a job, McGee doesn't, & Clemons still hurt

JasonB — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:48:46 -0000

It appears that failed fullback Dan Klecko has become a successful defensive tackle and earned himself a spot on the Eagles 53 man roster.

Asked this week who the team's No. 4 tackle was now, Johnson almost seemed surprised by the question.

"That fourth defensive tackle is a guy by the name of Klecko," Johnson said. (Actually, Johnson said, "Glecko.") He looks pretty good to me right now. He had a good game the other night [against New England] and he's had a great camp."

Klecko has impressed his teammates along the line as well

"Man, Kleck is quick and slippery," Bunkley said. "He just knows how to work the edges. In order to be a great pass rusher, you have to know how to work the edges. He's a specialist at that."

It's also apparent in that article that Bunkley is so amused by Klekco, that he can't look at the guy without cracking up.

RIchmond McGee, it was nice knowing you. See you in camp next year.

There's been some suggestions that the Eagles might actually cut offseason acquisition Chris Clemons in order to make a place for Jerome McDougle on the team... After jumping on Clemons the first weekend of free agency and the fact that cutting him would cost the Eagles $4 million this year I'd say it's unlikey he doesn't make the team. That said, it's obvious that the coaches are frustrated

"We want him to be out there," Jim Johnson said before practice. "It is important to Chris. We'll have to see day by day. I don't know how hard he can go, but he needs to get out there and he needs to practice."

"We know Chris can play," Andy Reid said. "Do I want him to have more reps? Yes, I would love to have in there. But that's the way it is. He has to catch up when he can."