Eagles VS. Cowboys Wild Card Defensive Preview

I would have done a defensive recap for the game last Sunday, but there was no defense played. So I’ve decided to do a defensive preview for  Philly today, and an offensive preview for them tomorrow. Although you all know I am an Eagles fan, I am going to be as unbiased as possible, also at the end of this article I will answer a few of the questions you asked me via email. So, let’s begin:

Sean McDermott called, by my count, 3 blitzes in the first half. Each of these 3 blitzes were against the pass, and each of them were effective. However, to all of you that asked me “why didn’t McDermott blitz more often?” it is because of the Cowboys running the draw play, and screens, which effectively nullify any hopes of a positive outcome for the blitzing team. But I have already explained this in an earlier article, so I won’t worry about doing it again.

The most obvious thing that needs to be done is putting pressure on Romo, and that comes from putting pressure on the offensive line.

You can read the rest of this article here.

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Andy Reid’s Stubbornness Holding Eagles Back

To be honest, I’m appalled.

Michael Vick was a starting QB once upon a time, he led his team to the NFC Championship game.

He is seen as a QB with a ‘twist’ and despite his lethal legs, he has a bullet of an arm and just needs to work on his accuracy.

I agree he is not yet a starter for the Eagles, but he is mighty close.

Jeff Garcia, remember him? I

hate to say it, but he really is the whore of the NFL.

He’s been on a grand total of seven NFL teams.

He was undrafted in ’94 and when he finally came into the NFL in ’98 he played for the 49ers. Then, somewhere along the way, he became an Eagle.

Garcia started after a incident I-will-not-say happened to McNabb.

Jeff donned Jaworski’s 7 and went 5-1 taking the NFC East Division championship. 

Kevin Kolb, the “next Eagles franchise QB”, has played part of a total of nine games, starting just one. He has a 50.6 rating, I think my mother could get that, and a 2-7 TD to INT ratio.

Sure he threw for a nice 350+ yards and two TDs against the Saints. But he also threw for three picks.

He missed open receivers time and time again, and he showed rookie mistakes in a game that should have been much closer.

So let’s compare these three QBs. 

You make the decision on who you would start.

Andy Reid wants to start Kolb. Why? He is stubborn.

He let go of Dawkins because Andy is stingy.

He let go of Kearse, I would have kept him even after he took a shotgun shell to the leg.

And now he is starting the QB that is easily the worst of the three he has to choose from.

Andy thinks he Kolb is the best thing since sliced bread (and McNabb), and he has stated that he thinks Kolb is the future for this franchise. 

I fully disagree.

If you look at the NFL right now, Jeff Garcia could start for about five or six teams. Michael Vick could start for the same if not more.

Yet Reid thinks Kolb is the right choice.

His stubborn demeanor is holding this franchise back, at least for the next few weeks.

Start Garcia you stubborn stubborn man.

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On The Fringe: Tony Romo

Tony Romo should be called Mr. September. 

Eight wins, one loss in month No. 9 over No. 9’s career.

Until Sunday, that is.

8-2.

Still, incredible statistics. This is what Romo gets paid for. To win.

He has done a reasonably good job at that. Winning. That is, in the regular season. Lost the one time he made the playoffs, but that isn’t the point.

Wait, yes it is.

I wrote an article about Romo being “Gone” in 2010, and at this rate it could become reality. If there is anything in the NFL that matters it is consistency. Lack thereof leads to lacking a team, and then beginning flipping burgers. Remember Tim Couch? 

A bit harsh comparing Romo to Couch, but let’s look at this rationally.

Couch had an ordinary first season, but you wouldn’t know it if you watched him against the Saints. He threw a deep bomb for a TD in the closing seconds.

Then in 2002, he and the Browns went 9-7 and did pretty well. He then went downhill after that.

Today he watches football from his couch (no pun intended).

You know why? He was inconsistent.

You know who else is inconsistent?

Romo.

Back to my Mr. September point…Romo has done extraordinarily well when there was no pressure. The Giants game on Sunday was perhaps the most hyped thing on ESPN and NFLNetwork I have seen since the Super Bowl. 

Pressure.

He threw 353 yards and three TD’s in week one.

Pressure.

So the pressure has accumulated and then it was Sunday. One TD and three picks. Kevin Kolb (if you’ve never heard of him, it’s understandable) did better than Romo. 

Now, you can argue that the Saints’ defense isn’t the Giants’ and you can argue that the Giants were playing the pass more heavily than the run (they were). Then why on Earth did Jason Garret give the ball to Romo? 

That was a mistake on Garret’s part. But it shouldn’t have to come to keeping the ball in the running back’s hands just to stop turnovers. Romo should have done better, and so should have Garret.

This kind of play is what gets players cut.

Yeah it is early in the season, but is this an early glimpse for later on? When the pressure builds up?

I don’t know.

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MLB Joe Mays: Views from Philadelphia Eagles’ Training Camp Sidelines

Eagles’ linebacker Joe Mays is stepping in for the injured Stewart Bradley in the team’s preseason game against the Patriots on Thursday.

If Mays can maintain his composure and physical style of play, he could start all 16 games this season.

Mays was taken 200th overall in the 2008 draft, and I am going to talk about him as if he is a rookie, despite coming into his second year with the Eagles.

Why?

He has only taken three (yes, three) snaps in a regular season game, and he hasn’t really had a chance to prove himself. But he will on Thursday.

“Lacks height, but has impressive upper-body muscle structure (sometimes gets too muscular), thick chest, broad shoulders, thick thighs and calves…”

What does this mean for the Eagles’ defense? How will stopping the run be the same this season without Bradley?

“Fires low off the snap and is combative with his hands in attempts to shed and split double teams…”

Mays is “The Answer.” Not in a cocky, Allen Iverson way, but in a “he actually is the answer” way. Watching him at training camp gave me newfound hope in what looked to be a desolate season.

“Comes out of his stance and attacks the ball carrier with good force and has the hand strength to dislodge the ball from the opponent…”

Bringing back my Iverson point, yes, training camp is just practice. But this is the only thing I have to judge Mays on and he looks great.

“Good at stacking and controlling multiple blockers, which frees up his outside linebackers to make the play…”

From memory, he only gave up one pass for a big gain (the team was doing a one-on-one drill) and either knocked down the rest or stopped the TE from even getting off the line.

This sort of physical defense is what the Eagles need to recover from their losses to injury this offseason: a player that can come up and stop a Marion Barber or Brandon Jacobs up the middle or step back into coverage to break up short yardage plays.

“In pass coverage, he is capable of sticking to tight ends and slot backs…”

I have yet to see him blitz the QB in person, but he seems to be the sort of LB that can do it all. His versatility shone on the field, and I’m pretty sure I could smell his confidence and excitement from the sidelines.

“Has better vision on running plays, as he has that explosive initial step shooting the gaps…”

Mays has this “swagger” about him that makes him look fierce and competitive beyond what I have seen before. It could be that he is fighting tooth-and-nail for a starting position, or it could be he has analyzed, assessed, and is now dealing with the situation at hand: the lack of depth in the LB corps.

He said he has learned the scheme and playbook thoroughly and is ready for the upcoming season.

But don’t get your hopes too high, he’s not quite DeMarcus Ware. He looks great and is doing very well on the field, but he is essentially a newcomer to this team and still has a long way to go before becoming a starter in the regular season.

But he is well on his way.

Quotes taken from Joe Mays’s scouting report before the 2008 draft.

Michael Crabtree and Al Davis: The Clash Of Egos

Michael Crabtree has been quite a controversial topic since he was drafted. He came off a great year at Texas Tech with stats through the roof. He has a list of awards, where if I were to read them off of a scroll, the paper would most likely billow in the wind three feet behind me as I unwound it.

He also has an ego which is going to get him hated.

He was predicted to go earlier in the draft to the Raiders and Darrius Heyward-Bey took his place, so Crabtree went 10th overall to the 49ers.

It started out well, Crabtree talking about how he was happy to be on the team etc. etc. But when it came time to sign the contract, the digits weren’t high enough to feed the rookie’s hungry ego.

So now he is sitting out of training camp waiting for the big bucks without ever playing a game of football in the NFL, or even hitting the field for an NFL team.

But imagine. Imagine if Crabtree went where he was predicted to go…Oakland.

Al Davis has quite a track record over the last 10 years; he has fired a total of five coaches, one (Gruden) who was said to be ‘traded’ to Tampa Bay even though Gruden took the team to the AFC championship game.

What we can learn from his history is that Al Davis is an old-school kind of guy; he’s pressing 81 so there is no question why. He means business and more business, and he wouldn’t be taking Crabtree’s attitude.

So if Crabtree was pulling this ridiculous holdout on the Raider’s team, Davis would most likely give him a chance, tell him to sleep on his decisions, and then the next day, if Crabtree was still angry about the contract…Davis would kick him off the team.

Now when I say “kick him off the team” I mean Davis would drop the contract’s cash value, and simply tell Crabtree that he can take his chances.

Why would this work? Well, Crabtree is saying that he will sit out this season and re-enter the draft next season. But the team he was drafted to still hold his rights until the day of the draft. That means no talks to other teams, no combine, no working out for any team, to put it plainly, “no nothing”.

And then where will the trust go? To the receivers who shine on their respective college teams in the upcoming season. Also, no one wants this sort of player on their team.

So guess what Crabtree? You are lucky you got to go to the Niners, a team with a GM who is willing to sort of negotiate with you, because if you went to the Raiders, you wouldn’t be pulling this funny stuff.

Injuries Could Already Be Tearing a Fairy Tale Eagle’s Season Apart

First Brian Westbrook’s ankle starts acting up again, which wasn’t completely unexpected for the ageing star. Then during training camp, Shawn Andrews and Jason Peters are sidelined with two injuries which don’t look all that serious. And on Sunday night Stewart Bradley injured his knee and Ellis Hobbs suffered a spine injury, better known as a stinger.

Looking forward to the regular season, this can’t be good news for Eagles fans. If players are getting injured this early in the season how will they cope in the regular season? Sure all of the players should be back and playing again at full health by that time, but what if they aren’t?

At starting running back if Westbrook is unable to play is LeSean McCoy. In his rookie season scouting reports say he is great in the passing game but could be lacking in the running game. Another worry held by experts is that he might not be able to perform at this high level. However with the Eagle’s offense set up for a stable passing attack, he should be able to step into Westbrook’s shoes fairly well. It won’t be easy, and the first few games he starts could be scary, but Eagles fans should put more trust into Reid’s rookies.

If Stewart Bradley is out for any games, in steps either Joe Mays or Charleston Hughes. Both players could contribute to the defense reasonably well, however they won’t be able to put up the numbers of Bradley. If Bradley does get injured again, there could be problems for the Eagle’s defense, and Sean McDermott could be in for a rough year stopping the run.

If these players do get injured the projected playoff run for the Eagles could be more shallow than once thought, and if the second and third string players don’t step up to the challenge, the playoffs could look far away to Philadelphia.

However, I only see these injuries effecting players during the preseason, after all they have just got back from a few months off and they may have not yet adjusted to the workload. As long as LeSean McCoy works hard during the preseason, the Eagles’ offense should be fine, and the defense will need to continue to work on finding a leader without Dawkins, as well as adjusting to a new coordinator, but I still see the Eagles with 10 wins or more.

Life Without Johnson: Can The Eagles Continue Their Top 3 “D” in ’09?

Jim Johnson left the team a few months back indefinitely due to his cancer treatment. It now looks like he has hung up the defensive coordinator hat for good. We all wish him the best of luck with his ongoing treatment and hope for the best.

However, the football season is coming ever closer and the loss of a top 5 defensive coordinator could change the outlook of the entire season for Philadelphia.

In 2008 the Eagles were:

4th in the league for stopping the run.

3rd in the league for stopping the pass.

3rd overall for defense in the NFL.

How can they continue this without the beloved Brian Dawkins? How can they keep up the pressure they put on offenses without Jim Johnson at the helm?

In steps Sean McDermott.

McDermott has the credentials, he was the linebacker coach in 2007 and was the secondary coach in 2008. 2009 he is the defensive coordinator.

For one, he has a reasonably young defense. They have a very young MLB and no solid leader at safety, yet. Quentin Mikell has reportedly been saying he will become the leader in the coming season, but I see Asante Samuel to be the one stepping up.

Two, the Eagles are still going to run Johnson’s defense. Johnson would be very fluent with this playbook, showing he made it, and McDermott needs to step up and fill some big shoes.

Johnson made the Eagles known for their unique blitzes.

Well hidden and hard hitting.

The Eagles’ defense is very scheme orientated and there is a huge question hanging over McDermott’s ability to run and fully understand it.

Andy Reid says he has “full confidence” in McDermott running this defense, and to be honest, I don’t share his confidence.

McDermott has been around long enough to see this team develop and this defense turn into one of the greatest in the NFL, but without leaders like Dawkins, he could have trouble keeping this defense where it was at the end of last year.

But, Andy Reid could be making a great move.

McDermott could be great. He has been around for a long while and he obviously knows how to play the game. He has trained the secondary to grab all of the interceptions they did, and he has taught the linebackers how to wrap up a Brandon Jacobs or Marion Barber so very well.

Who is to say he can’t just step in and fill the gaping hole left by Johnson?

Who is to say he won’t bring the team to number one?

I heard a reporter from NFL.com say “I can go onto the Internet and find a recipe and I can make it, but that doesn’t mean I know how to make it well.” McDermott has a very good recipe on his hands, filled with corner and safety blitzes, smothered with Cover 1 plays, and sprinkled on top with a touch of all out zone coverage.

But can McDermott make the cake?

A Legend’s Legacy: The NFL Without John Madden in 2009

Boom!

John Earl Madden.

The last time he graced our homes with his presence was Super Bowl XLIII. 

He is a legend of the NFL, though never playing a game in it.

He was that guy that made some ridiculous comments, not unlike: “Hey, the offensive linemen are the biggest guys on the field. They’re bigger than everybody else, and that’s what makes them the biggest guys on the field.” Or, “when your arm gets hit, the ball is not going to go where you want it to.”

But it was all in good fun.

Not to mention his constant references to Brett Favre, or using the Telestrator to unintentionally(?) draw genitalia. To put it in Richard Hoffer’s words “It was like watching a kid with ADHD operate an Etch-a-Sketch”

Doink!

Color commentary is hard to do, and good color commentators are hard to come by. Based strictly by what Madden said, he wasn’t a great color commentator, he had some average quotes (stated above, or by a quick google search) and he had some points during the season where he would break down and ramble, but it doesn’t matter.

In many eyes, he was the best. The amount of passion he has for the game is ridiculous. He was never binded down by the networks he worked for. By the way, he worked for CBS, ABC, NBC, and FOX.

Madden graced our screens even when we didn’t watch the football. No, I’m not talking about Tough Actin’ Tinactin, I’m talking about Madden the videogame. Any time you need to find a game winning play, you can Ask Madden. He is sure to find you a play that will cost you the ball.

The good times with John, Super Bowl after Super Bowl, Playoff game after Playoff game, the good times.

But he’s hung up his hat for the ’09 season, to be honest he will be missed, even if some don’t think so yet. Chris Collinsworth is going to take his place on Monday Night Football. You will know Collinsworth from Madden 09, the aforementioned video game, where he makes comments not unlike Madden’s old comments.

He is just as useful, however, when it comes down to informing the non-football person about what is going on.

So perhaps Madden’s legacy in commentating is only to be followed by Collinsworth’s legacy in commentating.

We can only hope that the NFL has another Madden on it’s hands.

Running Out the Clock: How Much Time Does Brian Westbrook Have Left?

2003: Tricep

2005: Foot

2008: Rib/Ankle

2009: Ankle

 

Plagues.

Over history there have seemed to be many plagues.

Black plague, bubonic plague, pneumonic plague…

But the plagues that seem to stand out now are injuries to professional athletes.

Brian Westbrook is no amateur when it comes to football—he’s been playing since 2002. He also, however, is no amateur to injuries.

He’s had four potential season-enders in seven years.

So, how much longer can this man’s body stay on the field for taking (mostly evading) hits?

My prediction: not very long.

It is a well-known fact running backs seem to dwindle around the age 30 (Westbrook is 30 in September), and time seems to be running low for this star back.

He has consistently put up numbers and been the backbone for his offense since he became an Eagle. He also has made trouble for defenses as he is a solid receiver as well.

What does all this mean? Well, he’s been working hard.

Westbrook seems to be on the verge of suffering a (god forbid) career-ending foot injury after what his surgeon told the press. He won’t be in training camp?

It is doubtful, and this scares me. Westbrook injured before even the first week of the preseason leaves me to think, “When will it happen again?”

If he doesn’t care for it properly, he could fall victim to the same injury again halfway through the season, leaving the ball in the hands of LeSean McCoy.

So, how long will he have left after this season?

In all honesty, I find Westbrook to be an amazing player, but every dog has his day, and Westbrook’s could be anytime.

We need to look at this seriously. He has been a staple in the Eagles offense and he will continue to be, but one wrong step, twist, or turn, and he will be going down.

If he doesn’t suffer a huge injury, he should be able to be a starter for another three to four years, but without this luck he may fall victim to a 2010 departure.

When he does finally hang up his helmet, he will become legendary.

What Has Happened? A Letter to My Once Beloved 49ers

My Dearest Childhood Team,

You have been quiet as of late, not bullying the your peers like you once did. And to be honest, I cannot stand it. You were once the Mighty Niners, beloved by fans because of your incredible Quarterbacks and talented Wide Receivers.

But now, the bully lies dormant.

Perhaps you are waiting to rebuild the strength that seemed to be sucked from you during your follies with those Packers, who brought you down three horrifying times in a row.

Perhaps you have matured and no longer want to bully teams in the NFC West, but instead want to be quiet, calming.

Perhaps you have finally reached your mid-life crisis, and have sudden back aches and fatigue for no apparent reason.

Perhaps your doctors have not been consistent enough with their planning.

Dr. Walsh and Dr. Shaw, they are gone now, but remember what they have taught you.

Your mind has been running wild with injury and controversy.

Perhaps you are just getting old.

No, I refuse to believe that you are elderly, weak.

I believe you are being reborn.

You are still young and cannot see through your blurred vision, and you are scared.

Scared of those neighboring Pirates.

Scared of those far away, but still too close Packers.

But you have time to grow.

I will always remember you in 1994, yes I was only three years old, but the tapes my Uncle recorded of you capture, and forever enshrine the ambition you had back then.

I adored you.

I adored the way you fought out of struggles, when you were down you were not out.

I adored how the will to win was only overshadowed by the rings you wore so proudly.

I adored your anger, never falling short of screaming and steamrolling other teams’ defenses with your all seeing Quarterback.

I adored your depth at Defense, never letting a trespasser inside of your home.

I still adore you.

I adore you even though those Cowboys are no longer frozen in fear when you meet.

I adore you, even though those Chargers no longer charge in an opposite direction when you stand toe to toe.

I adore you, even though you cannot seem to stay consistent.

You have time to grow, and soon enough become that bully I loved so much when I was young, again.

You have time to grow, but when you do, remember to play nice.

Sincerely,

Jamie Brown

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