I was trying to talk to my wife during the game about some facets of this Eagle bunch, since I was watching the game at home, and she didn't really care.  So since I have nobody at home who loves football as much as I love football, I'm going to bounce them off you.

1. Do you think that our spasmatic running game has more to do with Andy's love of  throwing the ball or the fact that Peters is back in the line up?  I thought that with him in there we really were able to handle that side of the defensive alignment.  Also, was it just me or did we just keep running it off tackle and off guard effectively because of him?  Also, loved his pick up of the corner blitz.

2.  The one thing I have to say about Maclin that puts him well above DJax is his ability to get position on a CB.  Is it really a surprise that the slants keep coming to Maclin since he is able to cut to the inside and outplay his man.  This is twice now that McNabb has thrown interceptions directly to defenders off of slant plays, and I'm more inclined to think that Don is "trusting" his receiver to make a play.  With Maclin, he gets in there and fights for the inside position, Jax just doesn't stick his nose in there.

3. The one thing over the past couple of weeks that I've noticed is that usually we've been giving up on the I-formation for most of the games we've played.  It always seemed like when we were going to run it was predictable, and mostly out of a single back set.  But when we passed, it was also predictable just in our alignment.  It was nice to see andy keep those backs in there running, and passing, out of a strong running alignment. 

4. We need to send a fruitbasket to Cutler.

5. I like how they talk about Avant as if he's in the same "new guy" group with Maclin and McCoy.  Avant has been "Mr. Clutch" for a long time now.  I need to buy an Avant jersey.

6. Somebody has to tell Asante that he's not allowed to jump routes unless he has safety help over the top at all times.  I know that he's gotten quite a few INTs that way, but he bites hard on those pump fakes.

7.  Who else likes how Mr. Jones likes to throw the body around like a FS from the "olden days" ?

8.  I would rather see them stay with weaver in the FB position and keep the two back sets in with Eldra Buckley taking a quarter of the snaps with Westbrook out.  Running from the single back set is fine, but if you go three wide and the opposing team is staying in their base defense, you're going to have to be crafty to get your running game going.  But if the eagles keep a FB in the back field with a blocking tight end, we can just man up our blocks and pound it...Just saying.  (I like how in pass protection, people always talk about how we have the biggest O-Line in the league, but when it comes to run blocking nobody says anything about their enormous girth.  Just saying.)

9.  Come 2011 this offense should be frightening.

Alright, I'm done.  Thanks for reading.

They have the pictures and video up from the first day of practice/mini-camp and a couple of things jumped out at me.  I just wanted to knock around this business with you fellas since there's really nothing else going on.

1.  The new CB Macho Harris being lined up at safety rather than in the CB position.  I like this idea since you can see from his tape that he is a ball hawk and is defnitely somebody we need to cover the deep middle.  Whether or not he is smart enough to play the position in Jim Johnson's offense is a completely different story.  But if you remember, last season we went to that wierd "nickel" package where an LB was taken out and replaced with another safety, usually Demps if I remember, to allow Dawkins to play the hybrid LB role.  I loved Dawkins, especially against the run, but we've needed a  SS FS that can cover the middle in the 4-3 for a while now.  (Think Game 2 against Dallas, that touchdown by TO where Dawkins got smoked.)

2.  I couldn't believe that Jim Johnson was on a rascal directing the defense.  If you haven't seen the pictures of him on that scooter you have to stop what you're doing and check them out.  That is what real strength looks like.  You're sick from cancer, but you still make it to the first day of practice, and even if you can't walk onto the field you're still making it work.  That guy is incredible. 

3.  Does it appear that McNabb has lost a ton of weight since last season?  It seems like he has really trimmed down from his usual oaf-like self.

4.  Caveat to 3.  Reid has not trimmed down in the offseason.

Any other thoughts/comments/concerns out there?

They say that a watched pot never boils, but time flies when you're having fun.  Well I've got a new one for you...

Reading sports blogs makes a week take longer. 

Yeah, I'm no poet and I can't think up something that rhymes or is witty but you get my meaning.  At this point I'm mostly lurking in the blogs with mostly nothing to say.  In fact, as an Eagles fan, there's really only so much that I can read that hasn't a) already been said, or b) is just conjecture on the upcoming event.  I just can't take it anymore, it's wednesday and this week is dragging on.

What's also interesting is that while "everyone" is saying that Eagles will win this game, if you do any digging at all you'll find that it's a pretty even split between reporters who say the Cardinals will win or that the Eagles will win.  I know that the Cards want to play this underdog card, but probably in the minds of the players it's not really there.  It's a media driven fabrication.  Even on ESPN you can find people that swing both ways...

Ha.

Anyway, onto my initial point.  At what time do you say to yourself, "I'm completely full of the spin and they hype and the story-lines and it's time to get up from the table completely."  At what time do you say that you can't eat another bite and just want to sit back and relax, and wait for the game which will inevitably be here...

...Heck, I've got dental work to get done on Monday and I can't wait for this week to finish...and I hate the dentist.

Hey fellas, the Eagles just signed WR Danny Amendola to the practice squad and I'm assuming he's gonna have a shot at the team come training camp.  I was wondering if there was any information that you guys knew about him since I didn't see him start this season with you and I didn't follow your camp. 

Is this guy any good or is he going to be just roster filler like Greg Lewis.

Thanks!

From an Eagle fan, I would love for you to keep Tony Romo, sure he has had some great performances against us including the whoopin' from the beginning of the season last year, but the Romo experiment I think should be abandoned.  I read some of your "post mortem" reports (excellent writing by the way) and there are some flaws with certain parts of your game including special teams and occasionally with your secondary, but I think that has more to do with injury over the course of the season then anything really endemic.  Romo is the problem.  He will always be the problem, and let me tell you breifly why that is.

WRs - It makes me want to vomit to admit it but you have one of the best receiving corps I have ever seen and the depth of it makes me queesy.

TE - Witten is really good.  I hate you.

RB - MBIII has had a few issues (probably injury related) but is a solid power running back.  Tashard Choice is a guy with a future and will be a winning component where ever he is on the field.

OLine - "Seems" to do a fine job providing time, and run blocking, but while it is big seems to have trouble defending DB blitzes and fast DE's coming off the edge.

Defense - has shown flashes of brilliance but the secondary needs to get buttoned up.  D Ware. Nuff said. 

So where do we lay blame on this team with exceptional potential.  The blame lies at the QB position.  The Sacks he takes and the fumbles are not indicative of a poor OLine but rather his inability to get the ball out on time and his "willy nilly" protection of the ball in mid-level passes.  He sometimes puts the ball up where the receiver should be and not always where the receiver is.  Bust on Mcnabb all you want about throwing bounce passes to receivers, but he rarely throws interceptions because of that propensity to try and protect the football...maybe not the receiver...but usually the football. 

You need a young QB from the draft who you can turn into Franchise QB.  Romo didn't get it done as a holder in '06, he didn't get it done against the Giants in '07, and you saw what happened last sunday. 

Change should come from the top of the roster and you definitely need a guy with icewater in his veins who can protect the football and get it out in 3 or 5 steps. You need an answer and Romo ain't it.

Go Eagles!

So I just saw on ESPN that they decided to post their top ten moments at texas stadium since it's closing it's doors this year.  There were the usual suspects that you would expect to see on that list including T.O. standing on the star when he was a 49er, a couple plays from Staubach and Smith, and of course our Romo-esque bobbling of a snap that cost us a game to the cowboys in 1997.  But right, smack in the center of the pack was the Bounty bowl, and their kicker trying to pick a fight with the Eagles bench.  I love it.  I love how even when ESPN tries to put a list together - that was voted on by fans -  that kisses the ass of the Cowboys, we can still drop a deuce right in the middle of it. 

Anyway, just thought I'd share. 

(They also had one or two games on their where they lost to the redskins, which I also found funny.)

So some of you know that I'm a diehard Eagles fan, and I'm not hear to bash on the Cowboys in any way, shape, or form, especially after last night!  But I have come here to say this.  Lets suppose that Atl or Tampa lose one more game, lets say that Atl does not win out and they dump a game to the vikings, which I think is likely since the Vikings are 5-1 at home.  Also, lets suppose that the Cowboys win next week and the Eagles win against Cleveland and Washington (which is highly likely given that the Browns and the Skins are looking like crap).  So given all of that....

...How amazing is that last game of the season going to be between the Cowboys and Eagles?!  I can already hear the hype for that game brewing.  The winner goes on and the loser goes home.  It's going to be incredible and even though we were all talking at the beginning of the season about meeting again in the NFC championship game, I think this is going to be even more awesome. 

It's going to be a cold wintery night in Philadelphia and I think for these two teams it's going to be a matchup for the ages, it's going to be one of those games that'll have it's own name and we'll be able to say, "yeah, I remember that game.  It was incredible."

Anyway, I know that you're still excited about your win last night, as you should be, I just wanted to throw that out there to see if you fellas thought that would be awesome as well.

Go Eagles!

I love the Eagles.  I love them.  On Sundays, I would love to be at every game, I would wait in line for hours if I had to, but I would definitely do that to be at every game in the Linc.

That being said...

I hate this.  I hate that before this game we've lost our other 3 games by a sum total of 14 points.  So the giants get to improve to 8-1 and we're 5-4 in the gutter with Dallas.  I hate that we have amazing players, we can nitpick as much as we want, but we have great receivers, a great quarterback, and an o-line that kept McNabb clean for most of the night.  So that being said, why is it that season after season we dump close games and can't seem to call the right plays TO GET OUR PLAYERS IN THE RIGHT SPOTS TO MAKE PLAYS...I hear ya Reid.

Show of hands, how many people saw those two running plays coming?  I was praying that he'd throw it, y'know why?  Because if he threw the ball and it was incomplete at LEAST you stop the clock, but no, you have a no-name fullback so you run it twice because you're afraid of a turnover.  You go conservative and once again you dump the game...I hate you Andy.  I hate your smirk that you have while we lose the game.  I hate that you make excuses for why we don't win.  But you know what I hate the most?  I hate that you get interesting at the beginning of the game, the wildcat was priceless, you take chances at the beginning of the game, you are aggressive at the beginning of the game but at 3rd and 2 you want to be conservative when that hasn't cut it at all.  We were getting those crossing routes open for most of the game, why don't you try that, or wait, why don't you go play action and throw for 3 yards?  But I digress...

I don't blame the defense for this, once again, this game has shown that when you can't sustain drives on the offense, you cannot rest the entire game on the defense.  I do admit that I would have liked to see fewer running yards, but our defense made the stops when it needed to and gave us the opportunity to win that game. 

WE could have won that game.  And that's the story of the last 3 or so year of the Eagles, especially last year and this year.  That's it.  That's the whole ball of wax, we are a team that could go 13-3 or 14-2 every season, but instead we don't take risks, we play conservative, we get hurt, and then we go 8-8, and thus far, 5-4. 

With the way this season is going, we will not make the Playoffs, and ya know why?  We are NOT a bad team.  Our players are potentially great, but as long as we cannot manage the game or play to our strengths which is the passing game, we are going to come up short and not win close games.  That's it, we can't win the squeekers and the Giants, the Redskins, the Titans, the Colts, the Patriots, and darnit even the Cards and Dolphins can.  Until we can win a close game we're nothing.

But I will say this, you're only as good as your record and the Giants are 8-1 and we're 5-4.  Our players, I believe, are great.  But as a team (including the coaching staff, minus Johnson) we suck...we have a winning record and we suck.

I love the Eagles and I always will, if I was a fairweather fan, or bandwagon jumper, or fickle, these losses wouldn't hurt half as much.  But they do.  I'll wear my colors tomorrow and hope that next sunday is better, and maybe one day, before I die, I'll see that Lombardi trophy being raised by silver and green hands. 

I've waited 26 years, I guess I can wait a little longer.

Go Eagles.

...about the defense. 

I will agree that they couldn't get the redskins 3 and out but they were strong for the first 2 quarters.  This game has to do with the fact that you can't strand your defense to constantly win the game for you.  They left the game in the hands of the defense with Pittsburgh, with the Bears, and now with the Redskins.  Unfortunately, if you can't get a first down to save your life then you can't score and obviously you're defense is going to get tired and that's exactly what happened.

What is going wrong?  What is the problem?

Last week, and the week before, we said that we were missing Westbrook and that was the reason for the slow offensive start but now we have all of our playmakers, excluding Curtis, and we still can't make anything happen.  So is it the coaching ineptitude or is something else at fault? 

Why for example was Jackson out for most of the second half and why were we continually performing "trick" or misdirection plays to Westbrook when we're supposed to be a team that strives for balance with all of the other playmakers?  This is rediculous, we deserved to lose this game because we can't score and it's as simple as that.  I thought that maybe we were just having a slow start but this sad.

Heck, we don't even have the ability to turn each drive into a field goal anymore like we did in 2007, nope, now we just give them better field position than we could with a punt.  I hate this, I hate not being able to catch a break or make a play because of: Bad playcalling, dropped passes, poor calls, etc. 

What are your thoughts?  At this rate, with this kind of poor offensive performance I see 8-8 with no playoffs...

...this sucks.

Go Eagles.