Two Milestones On The Line For Andy Reid This Sunday

Andy Reid has two milestones on the line this Sunday.

The better known of the pair is that Reid’s Eagles are a perfect 10-0 following their bye week. From 1999’s bizarrely-placed Week 17 victory over St. Louis to last season’s 27-14 victory over Atlanta, the Birds are unbeaten on 14 days rest.

A home game against the 0-4 Bucs with both Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook back in the lineup should ensure that mark gets pushed to 11-0.

The bigger and more underappreciated milestone, however, is that a victory on Sunday would be Andy Reid’s 100th career regular season win as Eagles head coach.

Counting playoff victories, Reid has 107 total, and last season’s win over Atlanta made Andy the 37th coach to hit that overall mark and the 22nd to do it with one franchise.

But if you’re going strictly by the regular season, Sunday is his first chance to “officially” crack that milestone.

All that stands in Andy Reid’s way is an 0-4 team that has already changed its quarterback and fired its offensive coordinator.

Reid long ago set the franchise mark for coaching wins. Prior to his arrival, it was 63, set by Greasy Neale in 1950, but Reid reached that milestone in 2005.

Now, he has a chance at the century mark, and it could be only the first of four huge milestones for the Eagles.

Quarterback Donovan McNabb should crack 30,000 career passing yards this season—perhaps as early as Week six against Oakland. He stands at 29,399 as of today, and with the way the Eagles have been throwing the ball at will lately, it’s not unreasonable to think this will happen sooner or later.

Depending on how well Kurt Warner (who sits 55 yards ahead of McNabb) plays the next few weeks, McNabb will either be the 30th or 31st signal-caller to amass that total.  Oddly enough, the man closest to the 30K cusp without getting there (with 29,979 yards, to be exact) is the last Eagles “franchise” quarterback: Randall Cunningham.

Later on this season, Brian Westbrook could also become the franchise’s all-time rushing leader. Westbrook has racked up 5,837 yards through seven-plus seasons, leaving him 701 short of Wilbert Montgomery’s team record.

Both are big reasons why Andy Reid has won 99 games, and it’s only fitting that they should both return to action in the game where he could hit the century mark.

Oh yeah, and go 11-0 after the bye week.

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Plea to The Eagles: Keep Vick On The Leash This Week

It’s a proverb we all know: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

In the Eagles case, it should go something like this: If it’s broke, wait until it’s fixed to remodel it.

The “it” of course is the Eagles offense, and the remodel is one Mr. Michael Vick.

And as un-patriotic as this might sound to Eagles fans, it’s my estimation that there is absolutely no reason for Michael Vick to see any action outside of the Wildcat this Sunday.

Really, I don’t think now is the time to unleash him at all.

On one hand, yes, the Chiefs’ defense is suspect and now might be the best time to start incorporating Vick into the offense.

Except, of course, there’s one issue: Donovan McNabb isn’t playing again.

McNabb is “doubtful” this week, which is code for “yeah, we’re not just going to come out and say he’s getting three weeks off.”

And with Brian Westbrook doubtful with his sprained ankle, Kevin Curtis battling a sore knee and DeSean Jackson okay but coming off a quad injury…now is NOT the time to throw new wrinkles into the offense.

Kevin Kolb actually looked adequate last week, and against a team like the Chiefs (who, admittedly, the Eagles should beat) the focus should be on continuing his development and going with what works.

I can excuse Vick being active solely to run the Wildcat for two reasons – one, they’re going to run it anyway and it prevents possible further injury to Jackson, and two, it will give him a little chance to get up to game speed.

But if he’s active and Kolb struggles, you almost know Philly fans are going to call for Vick.

And that’s bad…especially in light of what he said in a recent interview about expecting to go somewhere and start right away.

Whether it’s bravado, delusionality or a little of both, that’s a ludicrous statement no matter how you slice it. Anyone who has missed two seasons in a row period shouldn’t expect to start at any position on any team, especially if you have off-the-field issues.

But Vick…well, Vick isn’t even a great quarterback. Yes, he has a good arm, and he can run well, and he was successful enough in Atlanta.

That was two years ago, and those traits make him a good athlete, not necessarily a good quarterback.

Baby steps. The Eagles offense is still learning to walk without Donovan McNabb; it’s not time to try to run just yet. With the bye coming up in Week 4 and McNabb returning to health, it might be best to table the Vick-speriment for one more week.

 

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Could the Eagles’ Best Run Defense Be “Trot”-ting Beneath Their Nose?

If Jeremiah Trotter is even anything remotely close to the linebacker he was two years ago, then the answer to my headline is “yes.”

If you haven’t heard, apparently the Eagles brought Jeremiah Trotter in for a workout this week. Much like with Jon Runyan already this fall, it seems to be more of a case of “let’s see what you can do,” rather than “we need you on the roster right now.”

But, hey, if Trotter can go, why not bring him back?

It’d be easy to question what Trotter has left. While he’s only 32—hardly old by NFL standards but ancient by Eagles’ ones—there must have been a reason he was released during the 2007 preseason.

And coming off a season in which he didn’t play at all (and one season removed from an unremarkable 2007 campaign in Tampa), it’s not like he’d be a “hot” signing, like, say, a Derrick Brooks.

But even if he’s not as good as he once was, Trotter brings dimensions that others might not be able to—for one, he knows the system.

It’s the reason the Eagles signed Jeff Garcia and “worked out” Runyan, and it’s the best reason Trotter would fit over a Derrick Brooks or someone else.

Even though two years have passed and there’s a new coordinator, not much has changed on the Eagles defense. Sure, the MIKE linebacker is now a little bit more responsible in run coverage, but that was the best facet of Jeremiah’s game; it was a damn good facet, as Trotter almost single-handedly turned the Eagles’ run defense from terrible to respectable in his second stint.

These days, Eagles run coverage usually calls for the SAM (Chris Gocong) to go after the lead blocker, the WILL (Akeem Jordan) to stay out wide and the MIKE (Omar Gaither) to make the tackle in the hole.

In case you haven’t noticed, as good and versatile as Gaither is, that’s not exactly his best trait.

Enter Trotter.

Even if he was a two-down (or even a one-down) linebacker, he can simply fill a role like a specialty lefty pitcher in baseball—come in, make one play, and head to the bench.

And even that one play off could have a big effect on keeping the backers fresh. Last week against New Orleans, the trio of Gocong, Gaither, and Jordan looked a little tired at times. And that’s understandable; their backups are a rookie (Moise Fokou), an injury risk (Joe Mays), and a special-teams maven (Tracy White). Not exactly the 1986 Giants back there, so they’re playing almost every play.

Should Trotter come in to play the MIKE on first or even second down, it would give one of the latter two a momentary breather. He’d ostensibly replace Gaither, but Omar could also move back to WILL and give Jordan a play off.

If he can do it well, why not try it?

Most importantly, though, he’d bring a level-headed veteran presence to the defense—one they’re clearly missing without Brian Dawkins.

The Eagles are used to young MIKEs quarterbacking the defense; both Gaither and Stewart Bradley are in their mid-20s and have been filling that role since Trotter was released.

But they always had Dawkins to be the heart, soul, and mouthpiece of that defense. Even if it’s just for one year, Trotter has enough Philly cred to come in and do that—even as a backup.

Now, of course, someone would have to be released to make room for him. Based on injury and inconsistency, it could be Mays.

But who would you rather have on the field?

Maybe the third time will be the charm. After all, there had to be a reason Andy Reid texted Trotter out of the blue to come in for a workout, right?

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Sunday’s Slaughter By the Saints Wasn’t All Bad For the Birds

Despite injuries, inconsistency and a final score that looked more like an Arena League contest than an NFL tilt, there are actually a few positives that can be plucked out of the Eagles’ performance on Sunday.

I know, that might sound ludicrous given the 48-22 pounding New Orleans put on the Birds.

But in that morass of problems, there were a few bright spots. And, of course, with their bye week looming, the Eagles will have a chance to at least move further along on their biggest issue (injuries).

So instead of three strikes, here are “four balls” that the Eagles collected on Sunday.

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Why Hank Baskett Should Still Be an Eagle

Hank Baskett is an Indianapolis Colt.

The only question I have is, why Hank Baskett?

Obviously, the answer is because the Eagles wanted to get Michael Vick on the practice field as soon as possible, and with seven receivers, one was the likeliest candidate to get cut.

But it shouldn’t be Hank who is gone.

And not just because his wife is the smoking hot Kendra Wilkinson.

I personally agree with Lloyd Vance’s view—it should have been Reggie Brown.

Yes, his contract extension gave him $10 million in guaranteed money, so it would be ridiculously expensive to cut him.

But as opposed to being ridiculously expensive to give him little more than a sideline seat?

While Baskett will never be an elite receiver, the truth is that Brown probably won’t, either. And Brown has clearly fallen out of favor.

Last Sunday, he was one of two receivers on the inactive list, along with sixth-round pick Brandon Gibson. However, it’s obvious Gibson fits in the team’s future plans.

Brown, meanwhile, was inactive for the biggest game he’s ever seen—last season’s NFC Championship Game.  He was injured most of last season, completely missing nine games and being almost invisible in four others. Fourteen of his 18 catches (and 210 of his 252 yards) came in three games.

Looking straight at them, Baskett’s numbers (33 catches, 440 yards, 3 TD) weren’t too much better than Brown’s last season.

However, his combination of height (6-foot-4), speed (he runs a 4.4) and big-play ability (3 of his 6 career TD went for 87 yards or longer) gave the Eagles a dimension of versatility.

Brown has never done that, even in his best season.

He’s a pure possession receiver, a No. 2 at best, who apparently wasn’t good enough to be active over Baskett for in Week One.

Yet, because he’s a former second round draft pick owed a lot of money and Baskett is an undrafted free agent acquired for peanuts (Billy McMullen), it’s Brown who’s still in green.

Never thought I’d see that in the NFL where money is simply a proposition most of the time.

Sounds a lot like Reggie Brown’s playing time, actually.

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It’s Time For The Kevin Kolb Experiment To End

Somewhere, A.J. Feeley is either laughing, crying, or possibly both.

At least in this Eagles fan’s opinion, I hope he’s smiling next week over a new contract.

After two-plus years, several chances and numerous disappointments…it’s time to pull the plug on the Kevin Kolb era.

Sunday’s performance against the Panthers pretty much confirmed what many suspected last year—Kolb is just not the right fit for the Eagles’ offense.

Yes, he’s young and lacks significant game experience, but that excuse flies for only so long.

He just doesn’t have the right skill set to be the Eagles quarterback.

Kolb was 7 of 11 for 23 yards in about a quarter and a half of action, but it’s not even about the numbers per se. The Eagles were up 28 when he came in and ran the ball most of the time anyway. Instead, it’s really about his decision making, and how the tempo of the game slows way down when he’s in.

I said it’s not about the numbers, but look at the totals. He had seven completions for 23 total yards, or just over three yards per play. Even if you discount the botched play that led to a three-yard Leonard Weaver loss, that’s still only six for 26.

I don’t care if you have Barry Sanders in his prime running behind you, there’s no way you do anything positive with less than five yards per completion average.

That point, however, just sets up the second point about the tempo. Before McNabb went out, two of the Eagles’ three actual drives were very good. A two-minute drill and an athletic interception prevented scores on two of them, not anything the offense did wrong.

Then, once McNabb got hurt, it was caretaker time.  

In five full drives under Kolb, the Eagles advanced the ball more than 20 yards exactly once. That was at the end of the third quarter…on a drive that ended when Kolb was sacked and fumbled the ball.

Even that drive was all the running game, as Kolb was 3-for-3 for 9 yards total. They got 26 yards, and that was the best showing.

It’s not as if there was a ton of pressure on Kolb. The defense had the game of its life, and even though mid third-quarter is a bit early to play caretaker, he pretty much had carte blanche to do whatever he needed to do.

And he did nothing—seven completions, two fumbles, and two more balls that should have been picked off.

Not exactly a line that inspires confidence. And it’s a trend.

In 2008, Kolb was a wreck any time he wasn’t playing caretaker. He threw four picks in 34 pass attempts, and in the one game where Donovan McNabb was so bad that Andy Reid benched him, Kolb responded by going 10 of 23 for 73 yards and two picks.

Granted, it was Baltimore, but that’s his best career line.

Again, even if you have Barry Sanders running the ball and the 1985 Bears defense on the other side, that’s not going to win anything.

And it shouldn’t be enough to keep his job.

With Donovan McNabb suffering broken ribs on Sunday and Michael Vick not eligible until Week 3, the Eagles need confidence in their backup option next week. I certainly don’t have it in Kevin Kolb, and if anyone outside of Andy Reid still thinks he’s the “QB of the future,” they’re nuts.

Vick, despite two years off, is much more athletic and talented. McNabb is only 32 and still has a few good years left in him. By then, Kolb will be 30 (or close to it) and untested.

The Eagles don’t need a caretaker or even a QB of the future just yet. They need a guy who can step in and win games.

A guy like A.J. Feeley.

Remember, Feeley was only in his second year when he came off the bench in 2002 to lead the Eagles to a 4-1 down the stretch and a playoff berth.

And yes, he is also the guy who threw seven picks in a pair of tough losses to New England and Seattle in 2007, but he also kept the Birds in both of those games until the end.

Simply put, he’s a professional who knows the offense and can get the job done.

Kevin Kolb isn’t.

Hey, sometimes picks are busts. Reggie Brown was a second round pick and has been average at best.

Maybe they can catch on somewhere else together.

Either way, it’s time for the Kolb Express to leave 30th Street Station.

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Two Newest Eagles Prove Final Cuts Aren’t Always Final

The phrase “final cutdown day” is definitely a misnomer in the NFL. It’s really more like “number cutdown day,” because every year, there’s an inevitable flurry of roster moves after rosters are allegedly “set.”

And it’s why I, both as a fan and a journalist, never really worry about pressing needs until the season actually begins.

Backup tight end is an issue? Too many quarterbacks? Only three true defensive tackles on the roster?

No worries, as the Eagles fixed all those issues after their roster was “set.”

So meet the two newest Eagles: DT Antonio Dixon and TE Alex Smith.

While last year’s lone post-cutdown addition, LB Tracy White, was really only limited to special teams action (he didn’t record a tackle), both Dixon and Smith should have a much bigger impact.

In Smith, the Eagles get a quality backup tight end who is an excellent receiver, adequate blocker and, most importantly, a veteran of the West Coast offense.

Basically, he perfectly fills the role that Brent Celek had last year and rookie Cornelius Ingram was due to take before a knee injury.

In four years in Tampa, Smith caught 129 balls for 1,252 yards and 11 TD. Those numbers speak for themselves.

Coming to Philly, he finally has something he never really experienced in Tampa: a stable quarterback situation and a top-flight running back.

In four seasons, Smith played with six different starting quarterbacks—including two stints by Brian Griese—and blocked for about a dozen different rushers.

Not easy to get into a groove either way.

But as much as Tony Curtis showed in the preseason, Smith is definitely an upgrade at the backup TE position. Whether or not he remains on the roster after this season—which, assuming Cornelius Ingram is healthy, is admittedly a long shot—remains to be seen, but he will give 100 percent every Sunday until then.

Dixon, meanwhile, could become a fixture inside.

Originally signed by Washington as a rookie free agent, the Miami product was let go by the Redskins in final cutdowns. The Eagles, who kept only three DTs after cutdown day, snapped him up almost immediately.

And with good reason, as Dixon perfectly fits the mold of what the Eagles look for in a DT. Namely, he’s a 6’3″, 322-pound two-gap tackle who has a quick first step and can collapse the pocket in a hurry.

Not only that, but he’s the type of hard-working, blue-collar guy Philadelphia loves.

As a child, Dixon had no home, no father (his is serving time in a federal prison in Georgia for drug trafficking) and had to overcome a severe speech impediment and a learning disability that left him illiterate as late as high school.

Make any joke you want about the University of Miami’s enrollment standards, but most people stuck in that quagmire never even bother to try to get out of it.

But Dixon did. He showed flashes of brilliance at “The U,” but injuries and inconsistency left him undrafted this spring.

Still, he worked hard, and was grudgingly one of the final cuts from a team that lists $100-million man Albert Haynesworth, stalwart Cornelius Griffin and former starters Kedric Golston and Anthony Montgomery on its defensive tackle depth chart.

Now, he’ll have his chance in Philly.

Of course, the downside of his signing was the somewhat inevitable release of fan-favorite AJ Feeley. While the signing (and eventual reinstatement) of Michael Vick was the beginning of the end for Feeley’s second tenure in South Philly, it didn’t make Sunday’s call any easier.

As team president Joe Banner said, the Birds wanted to give Feeley a chance to find work and not keep him hanging on for a few weeks. A tough choice for sure, but hey, that’s final cutdowns for you.

Just ask Bobby Wade, who was released by Minnesota on Thursday despite leading the team in receptions last year and being the only healthy top-flight receiver on the roster.

His replacement? Former Eagle Greg Lewis, who was released by New England earlier in the week.

The circle of life, indeed.

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Macho Harris: Just Another Second-Day Steal For The Eagles

Today it’s official. Victor “Macho” Harris will be the Eagles’ starting strong safety on Sunday afternoon against Carolina.

It’s remarkable enough that Harris played cornerback at Virginia Tech and not only shifted inside in the course of a summer, but beat out a since-released free agent signee and a 2008 draft pick for the job.

It’s doubly impressive when you realize that Harris is just another in a long line of “Day 2” success stories from the Andy Reid draft era.

There are many who criticize the Eagles for trading down on (and sometimes completely out of) Day one. But every time a guy like Harris does something even slightly impressive, those whispers get a little quieter.

Looking at the current Eagles’ 53-man roster, 13 of them are guys Andy Reid has drafted in the fourth round or later. Of that baker’s dozen, five—Harris, Todd Herremans, Omar Gaither, Trent Cole and Brent Celek—are starters. Counting all three specialists as “starters,” that’s 20 percent.

Factor in that Quentin Demps and Joe Mays were the guys beaten out by Harris and Gaither, Max-Jean Gilles could be a starter on Sunday depending on the offensive line’s health and Jason Avant is a key slot receiver, and that’s quite a haul.

Oh, yeah, and Brandon Gibson, Moise Fokou and King Dunlap played themselves onto the squad this year. And double oh yeah, Cornelius Ingram is on IR but would’ve made the team had he not torn his ACL again.

Some teams draft the best available talent or organizational depth on Draft Sunday. Apparently, the Eagles draft winners. And sometimes, it takes a puzzling move to do it.

Take someone the Eagles will see on Sunday: Panthers OT Jeff Otah.

Sure, Otah has the potential to be a franchise tackle and would’ve been nice as an Eagle. Instead, when No. 18 came around in the 2008 draft, the Birds traded the choice to Carolina for a 2009 No. 1 and two later picks in the ’08 draft. Carolina took Otah; the Eagles took some heat.

If it hasn’t dissipated by now, let me put that fire out. The fourth rounder they got turned out to be Mike McGlynn, and the 2009 first-rounder was one of the picks packaged to Buffalo to get Jason Peters. So the offensive line ended up okay this year…and oh yeah, how did last season turn out with Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan at tackle again?

Exactly.

Sometimes, it’s best not to question Andy Reid’s judgment. Macho Harris didn’t…and now he’ll be starting the first NFL game he ever plays at a position he never learned until this summer.

Just another day at the NovaCare Complex in South Philadelphia.

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Projecting the Eagles’ 53-Man Roster

Saturday afternoon is the deadline for NFL teams to get down to the 53-man roster limit. As of Thursday, there were still 75 players on the Philadelphia Eagles roster, with the game against the Jets the last chance for nearly two dozen players to make an impression on Andy Reid.

Now that the game is over, it’s time to decide. It’s a little easier now that the Michael Vick situation is sorted out, but it’s still a tough 48 hours for those on the bubble.

Obviously, there are 30 or so guys who are a lock to make the team. And for those 22 who are cut, there are still eight practice squad spots to be had.

So, with that in mind, it’s time for me to play armchair GM and wager a guess as to who survives, who goes and who becomes practice squad fodder.

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Sean McDermott Is Quickly Learning the Art of “Reid-Speak”

He’s only officially been the Eagles’ defensive coordinator for about five weeks, yet Sean McDermott has already learned what some like to call “Reid-speak.”

During his press conference following Thursday’s preseason game against Jacksonville, McDermott said all he needed to say without actually saying anything.

That’s true talent. And that’s Reid-speak.

Unfortunately, the biggest victim of his first major foray into the world of Reid-speak was perhaps the one player who needs as much positive reinforcement as he can get—Joe Mays.

Unaware of what I mean? Well, here’s what McDermott had to say about the current status of the MIKE linebacker depth chart.

“It is a work in progress. There is competition at that position, which is what we want at every position. That will remain up until and throughout the rest of the season.”

Really? Could have surprised me. I mean, I thought that nine of the 11 positions were on lockdown. Although Trent Cole, Asante Samuel, and Chris Gocong will be glad to know they haven’t nailed down starting spots, I’m sure.

Of course, McDermott also denied he was specifically speaking about Mays, but had this to say about his development:

“We’re looking for consistency out of whoever is in the middle in order to execute the defense. As a young player, Joe has a very bright future and he continues to develop. Consistency would be the biggest thing, every down.”

Translation: He’s not ready yet, and we won’t be patient enough to let him learn because Stewart Bradley is our middle linebacker anyway.

Conversely, when the subject was switched to Omar Gaither, McDermott was rather complimentary. When asked about Gaither as a possible MIKE, McDermott nearly glowed.

“My biggest thing is that I want to see Omar come out and handle the reigns of the defense in terms of the leadership, make the huddle call, get us lined up, quarterback the defense. Then, from a health standpoint, that he has confidence in his leg.”

That sentence reads like the job description for Eagles MIKE linebacker—especially on the leadership front now that Brian Dawkins is gone.

Further, when asked about Gaither’s skills in coverage—a trait Mays is well-known to lack—McDermott heaped on more praise:

“I think he brings a lot to the table in the nickel passing game, sure. He’s a very aware and instinctive player, and as I mentioned before, does a great job of getting us lined up.”

Funny thing is, no one asked him about the nickel. It was a general question, and in trying to avoid saying anything definite, McDermott said all he needed to say.

Translation? Omar Gaither will be starting in the middle by Week Three and Joe Mays will be long forgotten.

But if that doesn’t happen and you come call me on it in October…chances are I won’t have an answer.

Hey, it works both ways.

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