SB Nation User Blog: JasonB

Joselio Hanson suspended for four games

JasonB — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:13:34 -0000

Philadelphia Eagles' nickel back Joselio Hanson has been suspended for four games by the NFL for violating the league's policy on performance enhancing drugs. This from Adam Schefter's twitter:

Hanson took a diuretic before last season's NFC Championship game, tested positive after game, and lost his appeal Tuesday.

Hanson will begin his suspension by sitting out this Sunday's game at San Diego. He will also miss games at Chicago, versus Washington, and at Atlanta. He will be eligible to return from on December 13 when the Eagles take on the Giants in New York.

I've been super busy today.. so I cribbed this from our pals at SBNation.com

The Linc - A lot of people watched Eagles vs Cowboys

JasonB — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:41:22 -0000

Eagles vs Cowboys a Rating Run Away - Radio Business Report/Television Business Report
From 8:30-11:45 p.m., NBC SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL, featuring the Dallas Cowboys at the Philadelphia Eagles, averaged a 14.3/23 in metered-market households.

Are Westy's days in Philly numbered? - NFC East - ESPN
I hate to be the guy to say it out loud, but does anyone else think this could be running back Brian Westbrook's last season with the Eagles? He's been one of the best players in the history of the franchise, but at age 30 he appears to be more fragile than ever.

Court Rules Vick Can Keep Bonus Money
A federal appeals court is backing the judge who ruled against the NFL and let quarterback Michael Vick keep more than $16 million in roster bonuses from the Atlanta Falcons.

Sam Donnellon: Eagles always taking 'the next step' but going in circles | Philadelphia Daily News | 11/10/2009
Eagles head coach Andy Reid blamed himself for Sunday's debilitating, 20-16 home loss to the Dallas Cowboys, saying, "It is my responsibility to make sure that we win those games.

Ankle is latest sore point for Eagles RB Westbrook | Philadelphia Daily News | 11/10/2009
"I don't think Brian's head is a [problem]. Brian had some work done on his ankle, so if he doesn't go on Wednesday that would be the cause unless something crazy [happens] with his concussion," Reid said.

Bills players split on idea of bringing in Vick - The Huddle: Football News from the NFL - USATODAY.com
In Buffalo, players seem split. Cornerback Donte Whitner said he thinks Vick would be a good fit. "I would encourage whoever to bring Michael Vick in ..." Whitner said. (via ESPN) "I would welcome bringing Michael here." Wide receiver Lee Evans, meanwhile, wasn't so optimistic. "I love him as a player and everything that he's done for the league," Evans said, "but I don't think it'll be anything we'll aggressively go after."

Bleeding Green Nation answers your Eagles questions

JasonB — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:08:36 -0000

I'm Jason from the Eagles blog Bleeding Green Nation and I'm here to answer your questions about the team ahead of this Sunday's out of conference matchup.

So put your questions in the comments and I'll check back with answers this week. Also, please Rec this post so that it stays towards the top of the page until Sunday.

Oh and watching your boys beating the Giants last week was fun!

I totally agree with Michael Vick

JasonB — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:55:44 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

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In an interview with Bob Costas before last night's game, Michael Vick had this to say about what he wants to be doing next year.

"I won't be a Wildcat guy. I can't," Vick told NBC. "It's a different style of play. It's almost like a hit-or-miss type of thing. My position is quarterback. That's what I was born to do."

I totally agree with the bolded part. It's fairly obvious that Michael Vick can't come in for one or two plays a game and do anything effective. The Vick experiment as it stands now is DOA. I don't really blame Vick per se, since the way he's used gives him very little chance to make a play but then again I'm not sure he's ready to handle much more anyway...

Vick also expressed to Costas that it would be tough to come back to the Eagles next year as a backup/wildcat player.

"It would be hard," Vick said of returning to the Eagles, according to excerpts released by NBC. "It would be an everyday struggle. But I would have to take that time to hone my skills and get better. I'm excited about the opportunity I have moving forward whether it's with Philadelphia or another team."

Basically Vick wants to be a starting QB next year... and you know what? I think the Eagles do too. I think the Eagles wanted that all along. Not starting here, but starting for whatever team offers the most in terms of picks this offseason. Watching the state of QB play around the league this past weekend, there has to be 5 or 6 teams that would be seriously interested in having a guy like Mike Vick as their starting QB. Especially considering that the Eagles have absorbed the brunt of the PR hit for bringing him back.

The Linc - Time is trouble

JasonB — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:07:00 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

2 days ago: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb covers his mouth in the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Philadelphia. Dallas won 20-16. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Phil Sheridan: Once again, time is trouble for Eagles | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/09/2009
Andy Reid's reasoning wasn't terrible when he sent his field-goal team out with 4 minutes, 33 seconds showing on the clock. His math was another story.

Eagles come up short against Cowboys | Philadelphia Daily News | 11/09/2009
RED FLAGS and red faces were the story at the season's halfway point, as the Eagles stumbled last night when given the chance to take control of the NFC East.

Cowboys bury past, McNabb - NFC East - ESPN
It wouldn't be wise to make any sweeping judgments on the Dallas Cowboys until their cruelest month arrives in December, but it's fair to say they took an important step at the Linc on Sunday night. They returned to the site of one of the most regrettable performances in franchise history and seized control of first place in the NFC East with a 20-16 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Brown Eager to Forget About Blown Coverage, Loss
It’s not easy being a cornerback in the NFL. Not during the game, and often not after it, either.

Eagles' Stewart Bradley, Cornelius Ingram making progress with injury rehab -- themorningcall.com
Two injured Eagles who are rarely seen during open locker room sessions reported encouraging news about their recoveries Thursday at the NovaCare Complex. Linebacker Stewart Bradley and tight end Cornelius Ingram, who each underwent surgery to repair torn anterior cruciate ligaments suffered in the preseason, are making excellent progress with their rehabilitation work.

What they're saying - Philadelphia Eagles vs Dallas Cowboys

JasonB — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:38:20 -0000

by Mel Evans - AP

2 days ago: Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid, center left, and Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips meet on the field after an NFL football game, Monday, Nov. 9, 2009, in Philadelphia. Dallas won 20-16. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

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Donovan McNabb was asked whether he thought he got the yardage needed on that 4th down QB sneak.

"I did. I felt like half of my body was past the marker which I've seen. I landed on top of one of our guys and just slid and kept on moving. When you, I guess the question, you probably replay it, I guess you may have felt that I did get it. We thought we had the first down, but unfortunately I guess twice we didn't."

Were those type of calls frustrating?

"It's frustrating, it's frustrating you know, just different plays in the game that you could have made and then when it comes down to a call like that obviously it's tough for any team to bounce back but still we had another opportunity to get back down there, try to put points on the board. So I'm still not going to make any excuses. There were opportunities in that game that we could (have) really blew it out of the water, but we didn't and credit to them."

Andy Reid was asked about those challenges but...

"I can't go into the challenges. I can't do that, unless you (the media) are willing to pay for it. They go the way they go."

Leonard Weaver talked about the teams' inability to convert short yardage.

"It's pretty tough. We always go out there as players and know we're going to play against everybody -- the refs, the other team. The bottom-line is we didn't convert when we needed to, as a team. That reflects when you can't get those things, and it makes it tough for our defense to have to come right back out after they shut them down."

More after the jump

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips seemed to downplay his team's win a bit

"We are leading the division right now, but we're only one-and-one(in the division). We have four more division games. We have a tough road in the second half of the season, but after two-and-two you can't be more pleased than where we are right now. It was an exciting win for us. It was a hard-fought game, hard-hitting game. I thought we were very physical as were they."

Jeremy Maclin talked about the two interceptions last night which were both on balls thrown his way.

"The first one was all my fault. I take full responsibility. The second one I was expecting a different throw. It is what it is. Those two plays were big, but we still had a chance to win the football game. There were a lot of mistakes."

Sheldon Brown talked about the big TD he gave up

"He ran a double move. I was in the coverage. [It was] 'Cover 1'. [QB] Tony [Romo] pumped, [Austin] ran a slant, I drove the slant, [and Austin] got open deep. Anytime you do that, if a guy catches the ball, you just expect to get him on the ground and line up to play another play."

And finally Sheldon was asked about all the penalties

"It wasn't just the penalties. We made a lot of mistakes throughout the course of the game. And then there were some plays in there where we didn't execute, and we were able to still win the play, but we didn't execute. Anytime you have those penalties, obviously it affects the game. I think the kick return was called back on a penalty, the interception return had a penalty that brought some yardage back, so it's tough. You can't win that way.""

Eagles fall to Cowboys 20-16

JasonB — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:44:32 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

Asante Samuel attempting a "tackle"

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The Eagles' performance tonight did little to silence the critics who call the Eagles offense an "all or nothing" unit. Last week, they hit their big plays against the Giants and won in blowout fashion. Tonight, the big plays weren't there and they lose a slow, grinding game to the Cowboys by 4. The defense wasn't great by any means(particularly the tackling), but the story of this game is once again the inconsistency of the Eagles defense. There were dropped passes, poor throws from McNabb, inconsistency up front, inability to convert short yardage... It was many of the same problems we saw in the loss to Oakland. I'm not exactly sure what to do with this offense other than just pray the good Eagles show up on a given week.

That said, we've seen this script before. The Eagles drop the early game to Dallas and then beat them in December when the pressure is on. How many Decembers in a row have we seen this? Hopefully the Cowboys enjoy their midseason win while they can. Round one to you guys, the decisive round comes in week 17.

The Eagles don't have any time to dwell on this one. A very tough game is looming against San Diego. That's a cross country trip against a decent out of conference opponent. Those aren't games the visitors win very often. Unless it's against the Giants I guess...

I've got a few more thoughts after the jump

Peters shows his worth

Gotta give credit to Jason Peters who absolutely owned DeMarcus Ware tonight. Ware made a few plays when Peters was off the field, but when he came back Ware disappeared. It got so bad that Dallas actually started lining up Ware on the other side to get him away from Peters. Solid job tonight by the $60 million man. I also have to give him credit for coming back after what looked like a very nasty play. A defender rolled up on his leg from behind, which we've seen led to torn ACLs all too often. Peters missed a few series, came back, and dominated.

What is the point of replay?

No one should take this as me blaming the refs. No doubt the Eagles had plenty of opportunities to win this game and have only themselves to blame. But how on earth did the refs see nothing on that McNabb sneak play? The camera angle was clear as day, the ball was clearly ahead of where they marked it... and yet the ruling on the field stands? What didn't they see? I'd love to hear an explanation of exactly why they felt that ball was spotted correctly.

David Akers came to play

If you were going to point out a positive tonight, one easy one would be David Akers who surprised just about everyone in the game thread by kicking FGs of 45, 48, and 52. Akers has been very hit or miss from beyond 40 for a while now, but for tonight at least he was back to his old self.

Can the Eagles ever get a big play at the end of a game?

Maybe it's late and I'm just not remembering correctly, but does it seem like the Eagles never make a big play at the end of a game? It just seems like every time the offense needs to make a drive or the defense needs to get a stop, they just fall short. The defense needed to stop the Cowboys once at the end of this game to give the offense a shot and couldn't do it. Now, I do give the defense some leeway considering they played decent overall and were without all 3 of the LBs they were supposed to start the year with. After Akeem Jordan was injured on the previous kickoff the only starter in the LB corps was Will Witherspoon, who only joined the team a couple weeks ago. It left them pretty exposed to the run and short pass, which is exactly what Dallas did to get the couple first downs they needed.

Every Eagles win this year has come pretty much in blowout fashion. This was the first really close game they've played all year. Last year, they won exactly one game where the final score was within at least a TD. That was the 20-14 win over the Giants which was only within one score was because the Giants scored a TD with under 2 minutes left. The Eagles lost 6 of their 7 games that were within one score last year. This year, they're 0-2 in games decided by one score. In 2007, they were 4-7 in close games. There definitely seems to be an issue there.

Some timeouts at the end would have been nice

As the previous paragraph said, it probably wouldn't have mattered that much if the Eagles could have stopped the clock at the end of the game... but still, their margin for error was very small with no timeouts. I suppose whether you're upset about this depends on how you felt about the challenges. Reid lost both and used another timeout somewhere than I don't even remember. I thought the first challenge was pointless, but I would have thrown the flag on the second one myself.

Cowboys @ Eagles second half open thread

JasonB — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:02:25 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

3 days ago: Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is sacked by Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Juqua Parker in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Cowboys up 10-6 in a mostly defensive struggle.

Cowboys @ Eagles second quarter open thread

JasonB — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:53:14 -0000

via assets.philadelphiaeagles.com

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Cowboys up 7-0.

Round 100 - Cowboys at Eagles Open Thread

JasonB — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:05:46 -0000

Lincoln Financial Field
Philadelphia, PA
8:15pm
TV: NBC Radio: 94WYSP/610WIP/Sprint NFL Mobile Live

For a Cowboys perspective check out Blogging The Boys

Did you know?

In the past decade the Eagles have the second best November/December win percentage in the NFL. However, Tony Romo has won 12 November starts in a row.

Familiar Faces

There are no players on either team who have played for the other, but the Eagles have 8 players who are from the state of Texas.

Matchup history

The Eagles have won 4 of past 6 & 14 of past 20 meetings between these two teams. The Eagles are 8-2 against Dallas at home under Andy Reid

Eagles inactives

RB Brian Westbrook, LB Chris Gocong, Wide receiver Kevin Curtis (knee), offensive lineman Mike McGlynn, running back P.J. Hill, offensive lineman Max Jean-Gilles, defensive end Victor Abiamiri (knee) and cornerback Dimitri Patterson (quad).

Cowboys Inactives

quarterback Stephen McGee (third qb), cornerback Allen Rossum, safety Michael Hamlin, linebacker Steve Octavien, linebacker Jason Williams, guard Montrae Holland, center Duke Preston and offensive lineman Pat McQuistan.