Heard in the Cheap Seats

A little over two weeks ago I wrote a post imploring Eagles fans to stop with the talk that the Eagles should entertain the possibility of trading Donovan McNabb for Jay Cutler.  I was certain that my opinion was part of the silent majority and the talking heads of Philadelphia sports were merely representative of the vocal minority.  Boy was I wrong.

The comments that ensued on that post called me an idiot, asinine, 100% incorrect and stupid.  As you can tell, my readers always agree with my opinion.  And when word came that Cutler was indeed on the block, the comments were reinvigorated.  Again, the majority of those comments were in favor of taking a chance on Cutler.  It never ceases to amaze me the vigor with which some Philadelphia fans want to run McNabb out of town.  At every apparent opportunity, the mob is lined up ready to run the guy out of the town.

Well, sorry folks, but Jay Cutler has been traded to the Chicago Bears for Kyle Orton and two first-round picks.  He’s going to a team with a solid defense and no wide receivers to speak of on the roster.  He will regret his trade demands by week 4.  Write it down: Jay Cutler does not even approach his 2008 numbers.

There was never really a doubt, but for those that held out hope…can we stop now?  Donovan McNabb is our quarterback.  Let’s move on.

In the spirit of April Fools (is there such a thing as the spirit of April Fools?), I wanted to have a little fun.  I don’t want to write a bunch of fake stories and throw a good old April Fools joke in at the end.  I thought I would throw together a few recent sports headlines that actually happened.  However, because it is April Fools, these are headlines that would normally seem like they were an April Fools joke and then became real.  I will also throw together some fun April Fools headlines that aren’t real.  I probably won’t stick to just Philly sports, but who knows where my mind will lead me.  So, first the real events that prior to them happening, would have made perfectly good April Fools jokes…

-          Brian Dawkins Signs With Denver Broncos

-          Brett Myers works a 9 pitch walk from C.C. Sabathia and draws a standing ovation

-          World Ph#$#ing Champions!!!

-          McNabb is benched at Halftime

-          World Series clinching game takes 4 days to play

-          Billy King is hired as an analyst for NBA TV

-          Marty Biron “stands on his head”

-          Eagles go with defensive tackle as #1 FB

-          Hank Baskett bags a Playmate

-          Eagles fans want Kolb instead of McNabb (Note: Not all of them, but seriously?)

-          After hitting a huge pinch hit home run in the NLCS Matt Stairs says, “When you get that nice celebration coming into the dugout and you’re getting your ass hammered by guys—there’s no better feeling than to have that done.”

-          Willie Green is a starting 2 guard in the NBA (sorry, couldn’t help it)

-          Tony DiLeo is Sixers new head coach

-          Jimmy Rollins is DH behind Derek Jeter for Team U.S.A.

-          Terrell Owens is in Buffalo

-          Jay Cutler wants out of Denver

-          Alex Rodriguez took steroids (Wait, nevermind, we all knew that)

-          Isaiah Thomas may be hired by Clippers

-          Arizona Cardinals play in a Super Bowl

Ok, I ran out of ideas on that, so maybe some people out there have some good ones to add.  Now, we are moving on to headlines that are truly for April Fools…

-          Eagles wide receiver leads the league in TD receptions

-          Eagles run/pass ratio is 54/46

-          Andy Reid is on the cover of Men’s Health magazine

-          Donovan McNabb demands a trade to Buffalo to be reunited with T.O.

-          Just to “shake things up”  Andy Reid switches defensive line to OL and vice versa

-          In order to build up the public support for himself, Kevin Kolb starts showing up around town with Heather Mitts

-          Eagles retire Koy Detmer’s neck beard

-          It is revealed that all this time Joe Banner was under the impression that the team would be fined $1 million dollars for any player over 34 on the roster

-          McNabb is diagnosed with a nasty case of IBS that takes about 3 hours after a meal for the symptoms to occur.  We then find out that he has a huge meal just prior to kickoff.

-          Andy Reid admits he had a “man crush” on Greg Lewis

-          Eagles fans ranked the classiest in the NFL by major national media outlets

-          A story is actually done about Philly fans that doesn’t mention booing Santa Clause

-          Charlie Manuel is voted “Interview of The Year”

-          Brett Myers reveals, “I pitch better when I’m drunk.”

-          Ryan Howard wins a Gold Glove

-          Jamie Moyer throws a fastball that hits 85 on the radar gun and is immediately tested for steroids

-          Sixers are a 3 point shooting machine

-          Thaddeus Young admits that he is really Shannon Sharpe

-          Aaron Mckie shares his secrets on the proper way to paint on a beard

-          Samuel Dalembert finally “gets it”

-          Reggie Evans doesn’t infuriate me

-          Sixers realize that Marreese Speights should play more than 8 minutes

-          Standing room only for all Sixers games at the Wachovia Center

-          Ed Snider admits that he hates basketball and actually forgot he owns the team

-          Reggie Evans and Bob Salmi are spotted in Fairmount Park…Holding each others hands, and their lunch pails

-          Prior to a playoff series Cleveland coach Mike Brown is asked what worries him about a match up with the Sixers, and he says, “We have to get a hand in the face of their shooters, especially Iguodala, and the low post presence of Dalembert is something we have to stop.”

-          Paul Holmgren trades Jeff Carter, Simon Gagne, and Claude Giroux, and explains it by saying, “We need more tough guys.  That’s what wins in today’s NHL.  If I could have 20 Riley Cote’s on my team, I would.”

-          Eric Lindros and Bobby Clarke are seen vacationing in Ocean City together

-          John Stevens and Paul Holmgren decide to eliminate all goalies from the roster

-          Holmgren says trading Upshall for Carcillo happened because he lost a side bet in a hand of poker

-          John Calipari hires John Chaney as his assistant at Kentucky

-          Kobe Bryant is voted Teammate of the Year

-          Greg Oden’s birth certificate is found and shows he was actually born in 1957

-          Sam Cassell is a martian!

-          Dick Vitale says something negative about Duke or North Carolina

-          Jay Bilas states that his favorite player of all time was Gumby due to his “infinite length”

-          A real National Champion is decided in college football

Honestly, I could go on and on, but I won’t.  Maybe some people out there have some great ones to add.  I have a ton, but it would become never ending.  Please add any funny April Fools headlines, either real ones or fake to the comments if you have any.  Happy April Fools!

Jay Cutler:

The talking heads of the Philadelphia sports world have been tossing around the idea of the Eagles pursuing disgruntled Broncos QB Jay Cutler.  As a result, there have been more than a few Eagles fans that have followed with that line of thinking.  I have one word for you. STOP.

Jay Cutler has not proved anything in the NFL yet.  Sure, he is a talented 26-year old quarterback that has been to the Pro Bowl.  And yes, he threw for an other worldly 4,526 passing yards this past season.  But he is also a quarterback that threw 18 interceptions last season and has never won a playoff contest.  The only thing that Cutler has over McNabb is the fact that he is 6 years younger than him.  So for all of the fans calling for a trade I ask: do you really want to pay the steep price it would cost to get a QB that will not improve this team?  Didn”t think so. 

Every time there appears to be an opening to run McNabb out of town too many Eagles fans jump on the bandwagon.  Oh how soon they forget 3-13.

Matt Jones:

It’’s kind of strange that I constantly hammer home the idea that the Eagles are not barren at the WR position yet I continue to post about WRs on the market.  Here goes a few more thoughts on the position.

The Jaguars today released troubled WR Matt Jones.  At 6”6″ and 219 pounds, Jones is exactly the type of receiver that could help the Eagles overcome their red zone woes.  But is he worth the trouble?  As a player, Jones seemed to blossom last year, hauling in 65 grabs for 761 yards in only 12 games.  Expand that out over 16 games and you are looking at about 86 receptions for close to 1110 yards.  Not bad huh?

Jones is a very talented WR that can”t seem to keep himself out of trouble.  He is exactly the type of player the Eagles tend to shy away from.  But with 2010 possibly being an uncapped year, they could sign Jones for short money on a one-year deal.  He may just be worth the risk. 

Leonard Weaver:

Rumor has it that the Philadelphia Eagles may be out of the running for the services of Leonard Weaver.  I called for the Eagles to evaluate Weaver a month ago, so I clearly think he would make for a solid addition to this club.  However, from what I have read, it sounds like Weaver expects to make feature-back type money.  The Eagles are not going to, and should not, spend that kind of money on a FB.  There are some solid players available in the draft that could fill this need.  Or the Eagles could continue to go with a tandem of Dan Klecko and Kyle Ekel.  I know that is not a popular sentiment, but remember that toward the end of the season, the Eagles converted 74% of their third and short situations.  That was dramatic improvement.  Was it an aberration?  Possibly.  I am not advoicating that the Eagles use this tandem, but only that the situation is not so dire they need to out and spend big money.  Instead, I”d like to see the Eagles add a body via the draft for competition if Weaver won”t sign at a reasonable price.

What do you think about the Eagles moves leading up to the NFL draft?  Is the team done for the time being or is there something brewing?

I am sure by now everyone has heard the news that Torry Holt wants out of St. Louis. I preface what I am about to write by saying that there is no guarantee that Holt is released. But, if Holt ends up being released, I am leading the campaign right now that the Eagles should go after him hard. It’s no secret that most Eagles fans (including myself) would like to see the team add offensive weapons. While I agree with the sentiment isn’t the Eagles most pressing need, I also believe that they would benefit greatly from adding a player like Holt to the offense. I want Boldin to wear midnight green as much as the next guy, but it’s not happening.

The key to the Holt situation is that he is due a $1.25 million roster bonus on March 17^th. The word going around is that the Rams have been seeking a trade partner. Rumors started swirling that the Giants were interested in Holt, and the thought was that with Steve Spagnuolo being the Rams new head coach, that a deal may be worked out. Because of the roster bonus that Holt is due, teams don’t seem to be eager to give up anything in a trade. The thinking around the league is that Holt will be released on or before March 16^th. Let the countdown begin!!

Like I said, I am driving the bandwagon for the Eagles to go after Holt. I certainly do not want to see him in a Giants uniform. But, that isn’t the reason I think he would be a huge addition to the Eagles offense. We all know the Eagles love to throw the football, so I have never gone along with the thinking that they are fine with the receivers they have. We all saw how dynamic the Eagles offense became by adding Terrell Owens. In my opinion, Torry Holt has at least 2 really good years left in the tank. He turns 33 this summer so it’s not like he is Marvin Harrison. Some people have pointed to Holt’s down year last year as a sign that he is fading. Screw that! Did anyone watch the Rams play last year? They were horrendous. Holt ended the year with 64 catches for 796 and 3 touchdowns. In the 6 seasons prior to last year, Holt had no less than 91 catches and no fewer than 1188 yards receiving. I think his statistical drop off is much more of an offshoot of the Rams being a bad football team than it is of Holt losing his skills. Not to mention, the guy has missed 2 games his entire career. Donovan McNabb wants weapons, well Torry Holt is a weapon, folks. How good would a lineup of Holt, Curtis, and Jackson look next year? The Eagles are going to address RB, tackle, TE, etc in the draft it seems and I am OK with that. So, I think if the reports are true and Holt is released, they would be stupid not to get on the phone and pay the man what it will take to get him year. They can’t lollygag on this one because Holt will not be unemployed long. Who wants to jump on the wagon with me?

BIG UPDATE–DAWKINS A BRONCO: I can’t believe I am typing this, but Brian Dawkins just signed with the Broncos according to Sporting News.  Thanks to 215SportsGuy for the tip below.  More shortly.

It’s not secret that both myself and my brother are huge fans of Brian Dawkins.  He was the heart and soul of this football team and to see him walk is disheartening.  This past year, some were pointing to his diminishing skills as proof that he had nothing left in the tank. He responded with a trip to the Pro Bowl.  Has he lost a step?  Absolutely.  He does not have the recovery speed he once did and struggles in pass coverage on faster receivers.  But when put in the correct spots, there were still few better in this game.  As I mentioned below, nobody has a knack for timing the blitz quite like Weapon X and his play against the run was always excellent.

Why did it happen?  Obviously the Broncos were willing to give him more money and more years than the Eagles would pony up.  What we don’t know is if Dawkins provided the Eagles with a chance to counter the Broncos offer.  Given the timing of the announcement, it seems as though he did not—but that remains to be seen.  Either way, it is a sad day in Philly.  A day when we should be talking about the big acquisition of Stacy Andrews will instead be about the day we lost an all-time great in Brian Dawkins.

UPDATE: Sean Considine signed with the Jaguars.  He was a solid special teams player last season and has been told he will have the chance to compete for a starting job in Jacksonville.  I personally think he just wanted warmer weather.

UPDATE: The Eagles offered Brian Dawkins a 1-year deal.  He will test the market and see if he can get a multi-year deal.  Somebody will give him two, the question is: will the Eagles match it?  Another quick update here, reports have Dawkins on a plane to Denver for a meeting.

UPDATE: It is official, Kellen Winslow is a Tampa Bay Buc: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3939777&campaign=rss&source=ESPNHeadlines

UPDATE: There are some early indications that the Browns have traded Kellen Winslow to the Bucs for draft picks.  Details to follow.  This guy would have looked good in an Eagles uniform if they could keep his attitude in check.  There have been no serious rumors tying the Eagles to Winslow but it would been nice to see them make an effort.

UPDATE: Reports have L.J. Smith nearing a deal with the Atlanta Falcons.  I don’t think too many Eagles’ fans are shedding tears over losing Smith.  He is the prototypical tight end in appearance but never quite lived up to his vast potential.  Will the Eagles be content with Celek as the primary TE?  My guess is if they are, they will get someone who can block to fill the void.

UPDATE: As soon as I finished writing this section, the Eagles appear to have signed Stacy Andrews–older brother of Shawn Andrews.  Will they still move on Jason Brown and insert him at LG and slide Heramanns out to LT?  It’s not out of the question.  In any case, I like the move.  Stacy Andrews is massive at 6-7, 342 pounds.  He is a better run blocker than pass blocker and it appears likely the Eagles will move him inside and slide Shawn out to play the RT spot.  This gives the Eagles a very powerful right side of the line—a line one would think would be ideal to run behind.  There are some injury concerns with Stacy.  He is coming off of ACL surgery and this deal surely is contingent upon him passing a physical.  Moving him inside to the guard spot should help mask any lingering effects from surgery as he won’t have to chase down speedy DEs all game long.

UPDATE: It looks like Correll Buckhalter has signed with the Denver Broncos.  He’s said all along if he had a chance to start he would leave.  The Broncos must have offered that.

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A lot has transpired in the last week in the NFL and specifically as it relates to the Eagles.  Here is a quick summary of what’s gone down and what it all means.

Will they let the veterans walk?

If history is any judge, it seems unlikely that Brian Dawkins or Tra Thomas will be donning an Eagles’ uniform next year.  Some call it ruthless, others call it shrewd—call it whatever you like but the Eagles have always been wary of signing aging veterans.  On top of that, the Eagles rarely let the players they want to keep hit free agency.  Last night at 12:01 a.m., Brian Dawkins and Tra Thomas became the dreaded double-whammy—aging veterans that the Eagles let test the market.  Uh-oh.

And while history certainly does not seem to indicate these two players with a combined 24 years of service to the Eagles franchise will be back in midnight green, something tells me they will buck the trend just this one time.  For starters, Dawkins proved last year that if used correctly, he can still play at a Pro-Bowl level.  He may have lost a step in pass coverage, but he can still play the run with the best of them and his instincts on the blitz are uncanny.  But more than that, the Eagles cannot risk the PR disaster that would ensue if they allowed Weapon X to walk.  Few players in Eagles history have been as beloved as Dawkins and seeing him in an opposing team’s colors would be equally as unnatural as seeing Brett Favre sport a Jets’ jersey.  The guess here is that Dawkins will not test the open market and will come to terms on a deal in the next couple of days.

Big Tra Thomas is a more difficult situation to assess.  There is no doubt that the offensive line needs to be addressed.  Thomas is a known commodity for the Eagles that still plays at a high level.  But OTs are tough to come by on this market and Thomas may be tempted by the prospects of a big pay day.  The Eagles are unlikely to spend big dollars on Thomas so if he bolts, the team is left with an interesting quandary.  With both of last year’s offensive lineman without contracts, the Eagles would have some huge holes to fill.

I see this playing out one of two ways, the team signs 25-yeard old Jason Brown, inserts him at left guard and slides Todd Heramanns out to LT with Shawn Andrew moving out to the RT spot.  But I find this highly unlikely, that’s just too much turnover on one offensive line for a season.  Andy Reid always professes the importance of winning the battle in the trenches and this would shake things up far too much.  Looking at the market, it seems likely to me that the Eagles make an aggressive push for Jason Brown, insert him at RG and move Shawn Andrews out to RT.  They would then resign Thomas and keep the left side of the line intact.

Where will Donovan Get His Weapons?

In case you haven’t heard, Donovan McNabb allegedly requested additional weapons in a super-secret meeting with the Eagles’ front office.

If you believe this meeting took place, which I do, what are we to make of it?  McNabb has long been perceived as a player walking in lock step with the organization.  While controversy has seemed to find him, he has never been one to impose his will on the team (and sometimes a game for that matter).  This is a startling turn of events if it turns out to be true.  It’s a turn of events that I have no problem with.

McNabb has long been tortured with inept offensive talent surrounding him.  Names like Todd Pinkston and Charles Johnson are not soon going to strike fear into the hearts of any DB.  Yet Donovan continued to plod along, putting up productive individual and team seasons.  Why shouldn’t he ask for more to work with?  If Donovan held a press conference to voice his issues then I would have a major problem.  But he didn’t.  He had a closed door meeting that was supposed to remain between those involved.  What’s wrong with that?  At my work, I am empowered to talk to senior leadership on the direction of the company, the types of clients we should pursue and the people we should consider hiring.  It doesn’t mean they will listen but I can certainly voice my opinion.  Why should this be treated any differently?

So if the Eagles take Donovan’s request under advisement, where are they going to turn for help in this free agent market?  The talent is scarce meaning competition for what is out there will be fierce.  Will the Eagles make a play for TJ Houshmandzadeh or Lavernous Coles?  Could the possibly pull of a deal for Anquan Boldin or make a move on Marvin Harrison in hopes that he has something left in his legs?  Would they be so bold as to make an offer to a restricted free agent like Owen Daniels?  As you can see, questions abound and because the Eagles always play things close to the vest, answers are hard to come by.  One thing is clear: the Eagles could use an upgrade on the offensive side of the football.  We’ll see if fans and Donovan get what they want.

Three Eagles Tendered

As you probably saw, the Eagles tendered contracts to Hank Baskett, Nick Cole and Tank Daniels.  These moves were expected, not much to analyze here.

Eagles with $48 million to spend

As usual, the Eagles have plenty of money under the cap to spend.  And as always happens, fans will be up in arms when they don’t spend all of that money.  Let’s get it out of the way right now folks—there is not a chance in hell the Eagles spend all of that money.  First of all, with the way the current market is shaping up, they simply can’t spend that type of cash.  And before we are so quick to say the Eagles are cheap and unwilling to spend money, let’s check the facts.  The Eagles have made very large deals in recent years on the first day of free agency.  Do the names Jevon Kearse and Asante Samuel ring a bell?  The front office is willing to spend money, it may not be where the fans want it spend but they are not cheap by any means.

So what do you think about the start of free agency?  How will it play out?  Stay tuned for the latest developments.

In case you haven’t heard, there are quite a few sources reporting that the Marvin Harrison era could be over in Indianapolis.  The reports say that the Colts and Harrison have been in discussions regarding a restructuring of Harrison’s 6 year, $66 million contract that was signed in 2004. Well, it seems they could not come to an agreement, and Harrison has asked to be released.  The Colts don’t have to release Harrison, but it looks as if the team is struggling with the salary cap and may not be willing to take Harrison’s huge cap hit. 

Of course, all this leads to a lot of talk in the Philadelphia area, because whenever there is a receiver that becomes available, the discussions start.  It is an annual thing for Eagles fans to be pining for the front office to bring in a #1 receiver.  When they finally did that, and brought in the jackass (sorry I just have issues with the dude) that now plays for the Cowgirls, it lead to their only trip to the Super Bowl in the last 28 years.  We all know how that saga ended.  The fact remains that Eagles fans love to debate the wide receiver situation.  I can’t say that I disagree with the argument that the Eagles have long been lacking in talent at that position.  The names Charles Johnson, Torrance Small, Todd Pinkston, Reggie Brown, Freddie Mitchell, etc are not going to strike fear in too many defensive backfields.  It’s really a shame when you think about it.  Say what you want about McNabb’s late game capabilities and all the other flaws that a lot of Eagles fans love to shout about, but for his entire career he has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.  Yet, for really only one season was he given a top notch receiver, and he produced the best year of his career.  It’s always been baffling to me that Andy Reid, who believes so much in throwing the football, and came from a long line of West Coast offensive minds, has tried to make the argument that the Eagles haven’t needed a #1 guy.  Name me any of the successful teams that ran that offense, and didn’t have a stud receiver.  The Niners had Rice and Taylor, the Packers had Sharpe and Freeman, and on and on it goes.  With all due respect to Kevin Curtis and Desean Jackson…no, screw that…they couldn’t hold the jock straps of any of the aforementioned receivers.  Unfortunately, I have strayed off topic a little bit here.  My mind has a tendency to do that.  The point I was making is that some teams can get away with not having a true #1 guy, but not the Eagles.  Not in Andy’s Reid’s system where they continually throw the ball 60% of the time and use the passing game in almost every crucial situation.  In that type of system, how are you going to feed me Todd Pinkston, and expect me to not throw up?

All of that leads me back to Marvin Harrison (round and round we go, Jack).  There is no way to be certain that he will become available at this point.  The question is, if he does become available, should the Eagles try to reunite him with his college teammate McNabb?  If this was 4 years ago, there would only be one answer.  But, Harrison is coming off an injury plagued 2007, followed by the worst statistical season of his illustrious career.  Not to mention those pesky investigations surrounding Harrison and a shooting.  I’ve listened to quite a few NFL analysts who feel he still has something left in the tank.  So, should the Eagles go after Harrison if he becomes available?  At first glance, most people would probably say no, especially with names like Houshmandzadeh, Boldin, Ocho Cinco, and receivers coming out of college floating out there.  But, my question is, what if the Eagles weren’t able to get any of those names?  What if they completely struck out?  If you feel that the Eagles need to upgrade their receiving core, even if it’s just a little bit, then would you sign Harrison?  Well, Harrison missed one game last year, and ended the year with 60 catches for 636 yards and 5 touchdowns.  Nothing to write home about, I know.  Although, we should remember, the Colts do have a guy named Reggie Wayne and an up and coming Anthony Gonzalez to throw the ball to.  Kevin Curtis played in 9 games and had 33 catches for 390 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Those are pretty much identical to Harrison’s numbers over a full season.  Jackson played every game and ended with 62 catches for 912 yards and 2 touchdowns.  I think Jackson will obviously get better and better with experience.  Jason Avant had 32 catches for 377 yards and 2 touchdowns.  I guess my point is, I don’t think Harrison should be the target of the Eagles, but if they are unable to bring in any of the other receivers that we all covet, why wouldn’t they consider it?  If he truly does have a couple more years in his legs, and I think he does, how is he not an upgrade?  Let’s assume for a second that they can’t bring a receiver in, and that no one they draft at the position would contribute right away.  You tell me which receiving core looks better: Curtis, Jackson, Avant, Brown, Baskett, Lewis or Curtis, Jackson, Harrison, Avant, and whoever the hell else.  I mean, the Eagles didn’t even want Brown on the field!  I am in no way advocating that the Birds make Harrison a priority if he is released by the Colts, but I think it’s an interesting debate if he is available and they have not made any changes at all at the WR position.  What do you think?

It happened again.  I was expecting to come on here fresh off a celebration hangover.  I was expecting to be writing about another Super Bowl trip.  I was expecting to be writing about McNabb and Reid having a chance to cement their legacies.  Instead, we are all left with the stench of another NFC Championship defeat.  This was the fourth such defeat in 5 opportunities under Andy Reid.  I am glad my brother broke down what happened in the game, because I don’t think I have it in me.  I have so much to say, and yet I can’t say anything.  For some reason, it seems like each one of these losses is becoming more painful.  Maybe it’s because with each loss, the window may have closed a little more or has completely shut.  People who are not from the Philadelphia area always ask why we care so much.  There are plenty of explanations, but all I know is we care.  I know that the way I feel today, is the way many are feeling in the area. I know I am not the only one who lost the bounce in my step, who can’t read the paper or watch ESPN, and who just keeps wondering when this feeling will go away.  I believe that the Eagles are better than the Arizona Cardinals, but they got beat fair and square, and that’s the disappointing part.  There will be plenty of time in the off season to discuss all that happened this season, but right now I don’t want to open that box.  We all have tons of questions and tons of thoughts regarding this team.  Either way, this season came to a bitter end.  An end that a week ago we thought wouldn’t come, and yet maybe deep down we knew it would.  It always seems to.  We just want one Lombardi Trophy, and we will have to wait yet again.  The Phillies winning the World Series was great for the city, but I believe nothing would compare to the euphoria of an Eagles Super Bowl victory.  And so, we wait.  We wait at least another year.  But, we Eagles fans will definitely be back like always because we care, and we cheer, and we love the Eagles.  And maybe, just maybe, someday we will be the ones celebrating.

After a night of restless sleep and plenty of contemplation, I think I have the stomach to write about this game. 

Quick-Hit Reactions:

– Where was that heralded Eagles’ secondary?

Coming into this game, you had to think that the Eagles would do a better job of containing Larry Fitzgerald and the rest of the Cardinals’ receivers.  With as much talent as the Eagles have in their secondary and as much money as they have spent on high-priced free-agents (Asante Samuel anyone) it should have been enough to slow down Larry Fitzgerald.  It wasn’t.  Fitzgerald torched the Eagles’ secondary to the tune of 9 receptions for 152 yards and 3 TDs.  Three of those catches, including one TD, came on the Cards’ signature “drag play.”  In this play, Fitzgerald starts on one side of the field and drags across to the opposite side, using one of his teammates as a pick.  On both occasions, it looked as though Samuel tried to undercut the route.  Samuel is a solid player that did his share to put the Eagles in this position, but he needs to focus on lock-down coverage rather than intercepting every pass thrown his way.  I am starting to wonder whether he gives back as many plays as he takes.  Despite all of this criticism, the Eagles secondary can only be expected to cover these receivers for a short period of time before one springs loose.  The drag play is a slow-to-develop play as was the trick play TD to Fitzgerald, which brings me to my next point…

– Where was the pass rush?

In evaluating this game early in the week, I stated that my biggest concern was Warner’s ability to neutralize the blitz by getting the ball out quickly.  In my opinion, this was the single biggest factor in the Cardinals winning the football game.  The Eagles simply could not get a consistent pass rush on Warner and he made them pay all day long.  Neither of those drag plays or the trick play happen if the Eagles are getting a consistent pass rush. 

In the first matchup, the Eagles did not blitz all that much in an attempt to contain Fitzgerald.  In yesterday’s game, the Eagles seemed to abandon that philosophy.  Far be it from me to point the finger at Jim Johnson, but it did seem like an adjustment was needed.

– David Akers’ Implosion

Despite his recent string of success, I still felt uneasy with Akers kicking.  Those fears turned out to be realized.  Folks, do not underestimate the importance of that missed field goal and extra point (the laces were in so part of this blame goes to Rocca).  With those four points on the board, the Eagles only need a field goal in the last possession.  You would have seen different type of play calling if the Eagles only needed a field goal to send it to overtime.  

– Too Much Quintin Demps

I think Demps has a bright future in this league, but  we saw too much of him yesterday.  He was one of the primary culprits on the long Fitzgerald TD catch.  It’s tough to ask a rookie to stay home on a trick play in the NFC Conference championship game.  To his credit, Demps was in position but simply fell when he had to switch shoulders.  Again, I think Demps will be a very good player in this league but he may not have been quite ready for the spotlight of the NFC Conference championship.

– Westbrook Is Not Right

I don’t care what he says—Westbrook is not even 75%.  He was hitting the hole very tentatively and without the burst we are accustomed to seeing.  His inability to establish a running game was critical.  Which brings me to my next point…

– What will it take to get Buckhalter on the field?

Correll Buckhlater is an effective running back that is well above average in all phases of the game.  He can run, catch and block.  So why not get him a few more touches, especially when you are playing with a one-legged version of Brian Westbrook?  I don’t understand it.

– McNabb was not at his best

I am a long-time and vocal supporter of McNabb.  I think he deserves the lion’s share of the credit for turning this franchise around.  I also believe that he should be back with this organization next year without a shadow of a doubt.  That being said yesterday was not McNabb’s finest performance.  If you just glance at the stat line, you’d think he played well.  But those 375 passing yards and 3 TDs are deceiving.  McNabb played well in fits and starts and never permanently found his rhythm.  On the final drive, McNabb missed an open DeSean Jackson across the middle and threw behind Hank Baskett.  Both of those throws were costly.

All of that being said, he made a BIG throw when it counted and was victim of a non-call by the referee.  McNabb did not play his best yesterday, but he played well enough to win.  He deserves better.

– Pass Interference is Pass Interference

Photo courtesy of Philly.com

I am not one to complain about the referees, but at a critical point in the game, it has to be pointed out that Hood committed pass interference on that 4^th and 10 throw.  Would the Ealges have gone on to score?  I don’t know.  But the refs robbed the team and the fans of a chance at seeing that game through to its conclusion.  You can sit here and say that the refs should not be the ones to decide who wins the game.  That’s just an excuse for a ref with no balls.  “Let the players decide the outcome of the game,” they say.  Hood did decide the outcome of the play when he swiped at Kevin Curtis’ leg causing him to fall before he came out of his break.  The refs missed that one–there is nothing more to it.

– The Defense Let the Eagles Down

Photo courtesy of Philly.com

The Eagles defense was the single most important factor in the team’s ascent into the NFC Conference championship game.  This defense was playing at its highest level in years.  So where was that defense yesterday?  If your offense gives you 25 points you should win.  If your offense takes the lead and the momentum with a 65-yard TD pass with 8 minutes to go, you should win.  The defense could not get off the field when it mattered and it cost the Eagles a shot at the Super Bowl.  There is a good reason why Brian Dawkins apologized to the fans.

– Summary

Do not interpret this as a laundry list of excuses for why the Eagles lost the game.  The Cardinals outplayed the Eagles in nearly every facet of the game and rightfully earned a trip to Tampa.  These are merely observations of what went wrong from the Eagles perspective.  In the end, all it amounts to is another off-season of anguish for tormented Eagles’ fans. 

When do pitchers and catchers report?

As I have mentioned many times recently, I am extremely superstitious.  Because of that, I am posting  another day after the game “Random Thoughts” post.  Just like last week, some thoughts are from the big win yesterday, and some I have no idea where they are from because I haven’t typed them yet.  And now…deep thoughts, by Anthony Iafolla…

Thoughts on Birds win over Giants

What a tough game!  Some of the hitting in that game was brutal.  My buddy King kept saying, “You know, if they came back from commercial and said that one of the players never got up from that hit because he was dead, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

What an ugly first half by both teams!  I believe up until the Eagles drove down for a field goal at the end of the first half, they had totaled 11 yards of offense.  Wow!

Speaking of that drive at the end of the first half, are you kidding me?  Did the Eagles really actually come away with points in the two minute drill?  Is that a first?  Might be.  In all seriousness though, that drive was huge for the offense to get some rhythm before halftime.

Brian Westbrook is not even close to healthy.  I wish he was, but it almost hurts to watch him move around.  I give him credit for getting himself on the field.

The Giants are not the same offensive team without Burress.  He is a 6 foot 5 safety valve that Manning can throw it up to on any play and know that he has a better chance of making a play than any defensive back.

I hate Joe Buck.

A lot of credit should go to Andy Reid for sticking with the running game, even when it wasn’t working at all.  That led to a few nice runs late in the game, as well as the first Eagles TD on a sneak.

In regards to Reid, even more kudos for the game plan.  I have complained before on his inability to make in game adjustments, but I believe it was the offensive adjustments he and the coaching staff made that led to their success at the end of the first half and into the second half.  The Giants were blitzing the crap out of the Eagles, and the Eagles countered by getting McNabb into short drops with max protection and the receivers were able to make plays and get open.

I know the O-Line is banged up, but they need to do a better job against the Cardinals of opening up some running lanes.  In the face of a furious blitz, the pass protection was pretty damn good.

I’ll keep saying this every week…Jason Avant is one of my favorites!

Play of the game without a doubt in my mind…Trailing 11-10 with 11:50 left in the 3^rd quarter, the Eagles were facing a 3^rd and 20 at their own 15 yard line.  McNabb drops back and really should have been sacked on the play, but shrugged off two defenders and completed a 15 yard pass to Avant who did the rest for a 21 yard gain and a huge first down.  Think about that.  McNabb had just started the half with the Fred Robbins interception on a tipped pass and the Giants had taken the lead and the momentum and had the Birds pinned back in their own territory.  The drive then continued and resulted in a field goal to put the Eagles up for good at 13-11.  One more thing about that play…There might be 5 quarterbacks on the planet that make that play and McNabb is one of them. 

On the subject of McNabb, his numbers weren’t great, but in a game like that, in those conditions, against the defending Super Bowl Champions, I would argue he played great.  Who looked more like the QB with a ring?  I have stated this before, but some of the fans in our great city of Philly, specifically the ones who constantly rip McNabb, are complete boneheads.  I have more thoughts on McNabb but those will be saved until after the season, win or lose the Super Bowl.  Now is not the time to get angry at the haters.

Apparently Tom Coughlin can convince an official to decide there was no pass interference.  That was terrible!

Great job all around by the defense.  This defense is fast, tough, and mostly young.  They got off the field on big third and fourth downs, and that was the key of the game.  They also held the Giants to field goals even when put in tough field positions.  Great play by the tackles Bunkley and Patterson.

I thought the defense did an amazing job against Brandon Jacobs.  Yes, he racked up some yardage, but mostly on a few big runs, and almost never when the Giants needed it most.  No easy task because Jacobs is one tough SOB.

Maybe Jim Johnson should sit up in the booth all the time.

I hate Joe Buck.

Aikman needs to shut the hell up about McNabb picking up the phone on the Giants sideline.  He made a mistake so just button it, Troy, or the Eagles will sack you eleven times again and give you another concussion!

Great job by Curtis to bounce back after that horrible drop on the deep pass down the sideline.

I guess Akers’ Meadowlands jinx is over…for now.

Everyone needs to shut up about the wind.  Mike Francesa on WFAN today actually said that if it wasn’t windy he thinks the Giants would have won the game.  Interesting, since everyone knew it would be windy, since it’s always windy in the freaking Meadowlands in January!  Yet, Francesa still picked the Giants to win!  What?!  Now, they lost because of the wind?  Eli hasn’t played enough games in that stadium yet?  Shut it!

Let’s not overlook the Cardinals, they are a different team, and they are pissed off and at home.  I don’t think the Eagles will overlook them, though.

5 NFC Championship games in 8 seasons.  Not bad from 3-13, huh?

Other Random Thoughts

Thank the Lord for the Steelers winning last night, because if they hadn’t I would have been 0 for the playoffs on my picks, other than the Birds of course.

I hate Joe Buck.

All these commercials are driving me nuts, especially the fact that they air the same 12 commercials during every sporting event.

Is it wrong if we refer to any miserably poor performance by a quarterback in the future by saying, “He pulled a Delhomme”?

I am really getting tired of the “no one gave us any respect” thing that all players yap about after they win.  So, a possible trip to the Super Bowl isn’t your motivation?  Instead, what drives you to play your best is that Merrill Hoge picked you to lose?  Really?

Am I the only one who was disappointed in the quality of play between Florida and Oklahoma in the BCS title game?

I guess I understand why the NFL is moving the Pro Bowl to the week before the Super Bowl next year, but it still seems pointless.  More than likely, half the damn players in the Pro Bowl will be playing in the Super Bowl.

Is Pacman Jones really still news?  He is a waste of talent, and actually hasn’t done a thing in the NFL.

I think Ken Whisenhunt looks like Woody Harrelson.

The fact that Tiki Barber was doing the red carpet interviews at the Golden Globes just makes me laugh.  Speaking of that, did anyone happen to see the completely awkward moments between Barber and Jeremy Piven?

They don’t come any classier than Tony Dungy and the NFL is losing a good one.

Tennessee has no one but themselves to blame for blowing that game against the Ravens.  They dominated the game but turned it over 3 times.  That being said, how the hell was there not a flag for delay of game?

I definitely have ADD.

Did I mention that I hate Joe Buck.

What a week this will be in Philly.  I am looking forward to it.  Until next time…

What a beautiful day in Philadelphia!  It was a long, stressful week for me.  I was really having a hard time sticking with my superstition and not writing anything leading up to the Giants game.  It was all worth it.  The Birds took down the hated Giants at the Meadowlands yesterday 23-11.  But, I’m sure you already know that.  It wasn’t the prettiest game ever played, but then again NFC East battles rarely are.  What this means, is that the Eagles will be appearing in their 5^th NFC Championship in 8 years.  Read that sentence one more time.  It feels good, doesn’t it?  The Eagles defense controlled the game, especially in the second half, and continued to shut down the Giants on critical 3^rd and fourth down conversions.  While the offense struggled for much of the game, Donovan McNabb made huge plays when the Eagles needed it most.  It was great to hear the Meadowlands go silent when Brent Celek caught a McNabb pass for a touchdown to put the Eagles up 20-11 in the 4^th quarter.  There were so many great performances and things to talk about regarding the game, but sticking to my pattern, I will be discussing the game in more detail in my “Random Thoughts” post.  What I will say here is that we should all enjoy this win for a few days and then get ready to put some more mileage on the old ticker this Sunday against the Cardinals.  It’s going to be tough for me to not write anything on the big game this week, but hopefully my baby brother will pick up the slack once again.  I think we can trust him.