Posts Tagged ‘Brandyn Campbell’

High flying Eagles offense takes on stingy Seahawks D in huge NFC matchup

Sunday, December 7th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

Birds VS

The Seattle Seahawks face the Philadelphia Eagles at the Linc today for a huge NFC showdown. Who will prevail?

The NFL’s top-ranked defense will meet a soaring Eagles offense, fourth in the league and cruising at 416.2 yards per game. Philadelphia’s Thanksgiving beat down of the Cowboys showed a Birds team firing on all cylinders, ready for their most critical matchups of the season. With the o-line finally finding its footing with the return of Jason Kelce and Evan Mathis, LeSean McCoy has had back-to-back games of  100+ yards.

The Seattle D allows a stingy 285.8 yards per game. Seattle is third-best against the passing attack, allowing just under 200 yards. And against the run, they have allowed just 86.3 yards per game.

While an excellent team, unlike the 2013 iteration, the 2014 Seahawks have revealed themselves to be fallible, standing at 8-4. As much as you hear about the team’s defensive threat, their offensive weapons are limited. Seattle averages just 192 passing yards a game, as quarterback Russell Wilson doesn’t have many targets. Doug Baldwin is the team’s leading receiver, who does a solid job but doesn’t send opposing defenses quaking at the mere sound of his name. The real concern for the Eagles is on the ground, both with Wilson and running back Marshawn Lynch. Lynch’s nickname of Beast Mode tells the tale of his prowess in the rushing attack. Connor Barwin will look to continue his streak of QB sacking after receiving Defensive Player of the Month honors, and Mychal Kendricks will have something to say about Lynch running all the turf at the Linc.

The big story of the game will be how the Eagles’ passing game holds up against Seattle’s secondary. Earl Thomas is one of the best safeties in the league, and Kam Chancellor won’t give the Eagles an easy time of things. Jeremy Maclin is having the beast season of his career, and Richard Sherman is just waiting to shut him down. Can’t you hear him mouthing off already? But the problem with Sherman is that he has the numbers to back up the talk. He has 23 interceptions since 2011, the most in the NFL. The next closest player has 8 fewer.

It will be critical for Mark Sanchez to not do too much this game, as we know he has a propensity to turn the ball over. He needs to play smart, lean on his teammates, and not make mistakes at critical points in the game.

This is going to be a good one, ladies and gents. The kind of stressful, heart-pumping Sunday affair that makes us love football. In the end, the many weapons and dimensions of the Eagles offense will outshine Russell, Lynch, and the famed Seattle D. Eagles 26, Seahawks 21

Extra: Will Shady surpass Wilbert Montgomery as the Eagles’ all-time rushing leader this game? He’s just 48 yards away. The legend himself hopes it happens today.

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Connor Barwin on award: ‘People are taking notice of our defense’

Friday, December 5th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Connor Barwin had a hell of a November. He was a sacking beast, leaving opposing quarterbacks little chance to remain on their feet. His feats were noticed around the NFL, with Barwin named as the NFCCB Defensive Player of the Month on Thursday.

It is the second time that Barwin has received the honor in his NFL career, the first with the Eagles.

In Barwin’s five games in November, he recorded 6.5 sacks, 24 tackles, and a forced fumble. The highlight of his performance for the month came in Philadelphia’s 45-21 win over the Carolina Panthers on November 10, where Barwin alone racked up 3.5 sacks on Cam Newton.

And how about this honor: Barwin is the first Eagle to be named NFC Defensive Player of the Month since Brian Dawkins won the award in December of 2008.

Barwin saw the accolades as a validation of the performance of all of his teammates on defense.

“It’s a representation of people taking notice about how well we’re all playing on defense…That Dallas game, it was the three guys on the interior who won every single matchup that game. That’s what’s good about (the award). People are starting to take notice of our defense as a whole.”

Looking forward to what you’ve got to show us in December, Connor Barwin and the entire Eagles defense. Congratulations!

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Philadelphia Eagles players take to Twitter to celebrate Thanksgiving beat down of the Dallas Cowboys

Friday, November 28th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

Eagles

This is what we were most thankful for on Thanksgiving Day: A total beatdown of the Dallas Cowboys by the Philadelphia Eagles. The defense was unstoppable. The offense was on fire. Tony Romo and his team were in meltdown mode. And the Eagles fought their way to #1 in the NFC East. All right in Jerry’s World. And thankfully, the revolution was televised across the land for all to see.

It just doesn’t get any better than that.

We’re all still riding the joyous feeling of victory so let it continue. Here are how Eagles celebrated their big win and shared it with fans on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/BrandonBoykin2/status/538148238642008064


The king of them all, beloved Brian Dawkins, shared his Thanksgiving glee about the awesome victory as well.

There are leftovers to feast on (no, I don’t mean the Cowboys this time), it’s a holiday weekend and we have over a week to ride this high–and rub it in the face of each and ever Dallas fan that you meet. Maybe God likes Eagles fans after all.

If you’re hitting the stores today, don’t trample nobody, please!

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

WE WANT DALLAS: Best Eagles trash talk of the week

Wednesday, November 26th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

Eagles

WE WANT DALLAS. So chanted Philadelphia Eagles fans at Lincoln Financial Field as they watched their team handily dismantle the Tennessee Titans.

The scenario is perfect to frame the conditions for a showdown of epic proportions. Philadelphia. Dallas. Thanksgiving Day. Tied records. Fight for number one in the division. It’s the showdown that has Eagles fans more interested in the game than what’s on the table, and players can’t help but get caught up in the emotion as well.

You don’t like Dallas? Neither do they. Here are some of the best lines from Eagles players this week about why they hate Dallas.

Brent Celek: “We take on a little bit of what the fans feel. If a fans dislike a team, we dislike a team. We’re all in this thing together. I don’t like Dallas.”

Josh Huff (who’s from Houston): “I’ve always hated the Cowboys. It’s just a little Houston vs. Dallas thing. I’ve always hated the Cowboys. There was always so much history there in those Cowboys vs. Texans games in the battle of the state, to see who was better.”

Bennie Logan: “Yeah, they’re OK. I don’t really know what’s great about them.”

Nolan Carroll: “It’s all a show at Jerry’s World.”

Sufficiently pumped? No, you’re not. Here’s a side of Bradley Cooper dissing on Dallas to push you over the edge.

If you’re traveling to get home or anywhere else for the holidays, please travel safely, Eagles fans!

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Philadelphia Eagles trounce Tennessee Titans with big win at the Linc

Monday, November 24th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

LeSean McCoy found his footing in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 43-24 victory over the Titans.

LeSean McCoy found his footing in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 43-24 victory over the Titans.

It started with Josh Huff returning the opening kickoff for a 107-yard touchdown for a franchise record. From the opening seconds of the game onward, the Philadelphia Eagles led the Tennessee Titans and never looked back, winning the match-up handily with a final score of 43-24.

The Birds quickly extended their lead to 14-0 after a rushing touchdown by Darren Sproles. But the biggest story this game was another Philadelphia running back. LeSean McCoy finally got things going and by the end of the day, accumulated 130 yards over 21 carries and 1 touchdown, including one electrifying 53-yard run.

What made the difference in the Eagles’ ground game? Shady said that everything just finally clicked.

“We just stuck to it… everybody focused in and had a terrific week of practice and we just stuck to it. I think everybody executed, they got the backs in one-on-one situations. The guys up front really, really blocked well. Even the guys outside, the wide receivers, they blocked well too so it was just all together.”

While beating the Titans by a margin of 19 points, there remains a number of concerns about the Birds on both sides of the ball. Leading Philadelphia to its second win in his three starts, Mark Sanchez demonstrated that there is still reason for concern with his propensity for turning over the ball. He finished the day 20/37 for 332 yards and a touchdown, but also hit a pair of interceptions. Heading into Dallas for NFC East supremacy on Thanksgiving Day, handing out the early holiday gifts in the form of turnovers by the Eagles has got to stop.

The defense allowed a team averaging just under 17 points a game to score 24. They allowed Zach Mettenberger, a rookie quarterback and the backup of a backup, to rack up numbers better than the Eagles’ own signal caller: Mettenberger was 20 for 39, totaling 345 yards on the day with two touchdowns and an interception. That, very simply, is not okay.

In positive play on defense, Connor Barwin continues to be a sack-racking beast, adding two more to his count on Sunday, as did Trent Cole. And kudos to the D for forcing three turnovers by the Titans, a needed counterbalance to an offense that truly needs some help for it’s addiction to giving the ball away.

While he missed a field goal, Cody Parkey continues to be an incredible pickup by the Eagles. On the season he is 23 of 25 FGs, and yesterday made 5 of 6 attempts, including a 50-yarder.

There have been no write-ups of this Eagles team this season, now 8-3, that hasn’t commented on the various areas of concern for the team. But all of it said, discussed and analyzed, you still have a team with a great record. They find ways to win, even when it appears that they are looking for every way they can to undermine that. But for this Philadelphia team to go the distance, they’ve got to start doing it against winning teams, a test that they’ll face over the next three games.

Next stop for the Eagles is Dallas on Thanksgiving Day. Chants of “We want Dallas” were heard throughout the Linc on Sunday. Those chants will grow ever-louder across the Philadelphia region as the big game on the big day gets closer.

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Preview: Eagles seek to throttle Titans

Sunday, November 23rd, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

Titans

After the beating the Philadelphia Eagles received from the Green Bay Packers last Sunday, the Titans are the sort of opponent the Birds hoped to see. It’s no secret that 2-8 Tennessee isn’t a very good team. 7-3 Philadelphia should beat them handily. They need to get another win in the books to fully shake off what happened in Green Bay, and then focus all attention on their next task: Beating the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. 

But there is another game to be played between now and then. Offensively, there is no comparison between the teams. The Eagles average 406.8 yards per game, fourth best in the league, while the Titans put up almost 100 yards less with 309 per game. There’s only one team in the league worse than that, and it’s the Oakland Raiders. Tennessee puts up just 16.8 points per game, as opposed to the Eagles’ 29.9 points.

The Eagles will face Zach Mettenberger, the Titans’ third signal caller this season. The rookie is completing almost 62% of his passes and has 5 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. The most targeted receiver on the squad is Kendall Wright, who has 43 catches for 473 yards. However, tight end Delanie Walker tops Tennessee with 512 receiving yards. The likes of Connor Barwin and Vinny Curry will bring the pass rush, which should be too much for Mettenberger and the Tennessee offense to bear.

In the running game, rookie Bishop Sankey is the go-to man. Though averaging just 3.5 YPC, he’s rushed for least 50 yards on the ground in four of their last five games. Bennie Logan, Fletcher Cox and Cedric Thornton will continue to be strong defenders against the ground attack.

Defensively, the matchup is far more comparable between the teams, much to Philadelphia’s chagrin. Tennessee is ranked 21st in the league overall, allowing 370 yards by opponents, while the Eagles have an even worse 26th defense overall, allowing 378 yards each game.  The Titans are decent against the passing attack, ranked 9th in the league. And that’s not just on paper: Tennessee can and will bring the pressure, so Sanchez must adjust accordingly.

In the ground attack, the only team with a run defense worse than the Titans are the Giants (ha!). Much of the season has been filled with statements like, “the Eagles have got to get LeSean McCoy going. This team isn’t very good against the run, surely he’ll gain traction.” And yet, it rarely happens. Shady said this week that, “ I feel like we’re almost there.” Well,  if you are, then a fine time to debut the fully completed feat would be against the 31st run defense in the league. Currently averaging a meager 3.7 YPC, no one knows better than McCoy that he is long overdue for a breakout performance.

The Eagles should handily come out the victors in this contest, unless, of course, they beat themselves. Which they’ve come close to doing far too many times this season. Philadelphia is currently in sole possession of a title that no one wants – they lead the league in giveaways with 25. The number for the entire 2013 season was 19. The Birds must stop giving away the ball in order to have the best chance to win.

Tennessee comes to Philadelphia facing a home team eager to put the humiliation of a game gone awry out of the minds and memories of the itself and its fans. They want momentum heading into their huge contest with the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, and they want to show that they can fire on all cylinders even with injuries taking their toll. Prediction: Eagles 34, Titans 20

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Philadelphia Eagles look to end Green Bay Packers’ Lambeau winning streak

Sunday, November 16th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

Can the Philadelphia Eagles put an end to Aaron Rodgers’ streak of perfection at home?

Can the Philadelphia Eagles put an end to Aaron Rodgers’ streak of perfection at home?

The Philadelphia Eagles face a massive test in playing the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field this Sunday. Can the Birds challenge the conventional wisdom that the Pack just doesn’t lose at home when Aaron Rodgers is under center?

It will be tough, to say the least. Rodgers is the picture of perfection at home. He has gone 286 consecutive passes without an interception at Lambeau. That means that the last time it occurred was in 2012, Week 13. And because of Rodgers’ flawless play in Green Bay, the team has a home winning streak of 15, which dates back to their 2012 season opener.

Then there is this nugget:

The Packers average just under 42 points per game at home, tops in the NFL, and they’ve outscored opponents at Lambeau by 101 points, also the NFL’s largest home win margin.

The Eagles are coming off of their incredible 45-21 defeat of the Panthers on Monday night. With the way Philadelphia is putting points on the board even with a backup QB leading the way, they’ve proven that they are one of the best in the league. And today, on the frozen ground of Lambeau Field, they will matchup against another one of the best.

The potent offenses of both Philadelphia and Green Bay are quite comparable on paper. They are fourth and fifth in the league, respectively, in points per game, with the Eagles averaging 31 to the Packers’ 30.8. Philly has 389.6 pass yards per game (5th), while the Pack has 256.4 (10th).

The Eagles D meant business and stole the show from Sanchez’ debut in the routing of the Panthers. Cam Newton didn’t stand a chance against the Philadelphia pass rush. The Eagles will bring the pressure to Rodgers,  but as he can do just about anything as well or better than any other QB in the league, including escape pressure, will it be enough?

Then there is the matter of Green Bay’s defense, who, with 18 takeaways, ranks second in the NFC. While Sanchez had a strong showing for his first full game as the Eagles’ signal caller, going 20 of 37 for 332 yards and two touchdowns, he has a history of turnovers. The Packers D has likely heard this as well, and will do everything in their power to force some takeaways. How will Sanchez fare?

All this considered, this is a perfect game for Philadelphia to try to get back on track with its ground attack. They certainly have the tools – LeSean McCoy, are you there? – but they rank just 20th in the league with the rushing game. With the Packers ranked 30th in the NFL against the run, giving up an average of 142.6 yards per game, you’ve got to get things going on the ground to increase your options.

The Eagles have the enviable ability to score points in a number of different ways. That will be important as it’s still too early to know what to expect from Sanchez. Even with that uncertainty, the fact remains that this battle between two of the best in the NFC will be a fight to the finish. A sure bet for Green Bay? Not really. But it’s going to be close.

It’s a beautiful day, let’s call for an Eagles defeat of the Pack in Lambeau to put an end to that home winning steak. Prediction: Eagles 31, Packers 28 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

WATCH: Darren Sproles’ punt return for touchdown against Panthers

Tuesday, November 11th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

Cam. Woah Cam. The turf at the Linc is what Cam Newton will remember most from his trip to Philadelphia for Monday Night Football.

Cam. Woah Cam. The turf at the Linc is what Cam Newton will remember most from his trip to Philadelphia for Monday Night Football.

It was a game with many, many Philadelphia Eagles highlights, as the team extended its record to 7-2 with the 45-21 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Monday night. Blowout games tend to serve as highlight reels for the team doing the blowing out.

The Panthers, on the other hand, were so bad that you felt for them. You knew how awful quarterback Cam Newton must have felt after suffering sack after sack after sack by Eagles defenders, particularly LB Connor Barwin, who played like a man possessed with 3.5 sacks on Newton. Cam was sacked a total of 9 times in the game. Ouch. But he kept getting up, only to receive more punishment.

So many highlights from the Birds this game that it’s hard to pick one – there were the multiple, steady, and productive Mark Sanchez-to-Jordan Matthew’s connections that resulted in two touchdowns. For his part, Sanchez, in his first full game leading the Eagles offense, finished the game with an impressive 20 of 37 for 332 yards and two touchdowns.

Let’s go to an old favorite this season. RB Darren Sproles, the man so foolishly given up by the New Orleans Saints. He just won’t quit, and he has always delivered for this Eagles team.

The Eagles scored in all phases on Monday night – on offense, on defense, and on special teams. Watch Sproles deliver a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown, his second TD of the game – all while still in the first quarter.

 

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

All eyes on Mark Sanchez as Philadelphia Eagles face Carolina Panthers

Monday, November 10th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

MS

As with any game, there are many important aspects of the Philadelphia Eagles on which to focus this Monday night. But who are we kidding?: Tonight’s game against the Carolina Panthers is all about Mark Sanchez.

Every step he takes, every move he makes, we’ll be watching him. Every throw. Every decision. Can Sanchez ably lead the Birds for the six to eight weeks that Nick Foles is expected to be out with a broken collarbone? If so, is he the quarterback on which we should hitch our trailers for an even longer stretch of time? If Sanchez can avoid the turnovers that became an all-too prevalent part of Foles’ performance this season and turn in a series of consistent performances, the answer could be yes. But those are big “ifs”. Sanchez has his own history of turning the ball over to overcome. Since entering the league in 2009, the former USC quarterback has thrown for more interceptions (71) than touchdowns (70) in his career.

Evan Mathis’will return to the o-line just as Todd Herremans exits for the season due to torn biceps. The Eagles have finally found some footing with their running game and would do well to take advantage of the 131.9 yards the Panthers have allowed on the ground each game. With a healthy Chris Polk added to the already powerful mix of LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles, the Birds could have a dynamic game on the ground tonight. The run needs to be a prevalent part of tonight’s game to allow Sanchez time to adjust to the role of signal caller for Philadelphia.

There is another important story to watch as the Eagles take the field at the Linc tonight and for the remainder of the season. How will Philadelphia fill in for the loss of DeMeco Ryans? Defensive coordinator Bill Davis plans for Casey Matthews and Emmanuel Acho to take over Ryans’ middle linebacker responsibility as far as making calls. On the field, the defense will use a combination of Acho, Matthews, and Mychal Kendricks to make up for the loss of Ryans. It’s a similar solution as to when Kendricks was sidelined for several weeks, Davis said last week.

“[Linebackers] Coach Rick Minter does a great job of teaching the concepts of both so we can move multiple guys to the MIKE or the WIL depending on what we need”, Davis said. “Whether we’re in dime or nickel or anything like that. Right now it’s the same rotation as when Mychal [Kendricks] was down. It’ll be [Emmanuel] Acho and Casey [Matthews] handling first and second down duties at the DeMeco spot instead of the Mychal spot. They’re cross-trained and they’ll be fine.”

While the Panthers defense features Luke Kuechly, last year’s Defensive Player of the Year at MLB, it is struggling this season. They have already given up 236 points this season. They gave up only 241 in all of 2013. They are missing Pro Bowl DE Greg Hardy. Their struggles will be a nice complement to an Eagles team adjusting to key losses on both sides of the ball.

Cam Newton and the Panthers’ offense aren’t doing well on any front this year, putting up just 19.7 points per game, 25th in the league. By comparison, the Eagles average 29.2 points per game (5th in the NFL). Newton is completing just 57% of his passes, and Carolina’s receiving corps’ top producers are Greg Olsen, Kelvin Benjamin and former Eagle Jason Avant. Love Avant as we do, that is hardly a stellar lineup. The Panthers are also putting together just 94.7 rushing yards per game, which leaves them with no clear answers for getting points on the board.

A Panthers team with significant issues facing an Eagles team adjusting to key losses on both sides of the ball may make for a more competitive Monday night matchup than we’d like to see. But the Eagles will still prevail.

Prediction: Eagles 24, Panthers 14

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

Mark Sanchez takes the keys of the Philadelphia Eagles offense for 6-8 weeks after Nick Foles injury

Tuesday, November 4th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Sanchez, you now have the keys to the Eagles offense.  (Image via Brian Garfinkel, Philadelphia Eagles.)

Mark Sanchez, you now have the keys to the Eagles offense.
(Image via Brian Garfinkel, Philadelphia Eagles.)

Significant injuries have unfortunately overshadowed the Philadelphia Eagles’ 31-21 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday. The leaders of both the team’s offense and defense went down with injuries, with Nick Foles suffering a broken collarbone and DeMeco Ryans suffering a season-ending ruptured Achilles.

Foles will not require surgery for his broken left clavicle. However, he will be out of game action for an estimated 6-8 weeks. With his unsteady performance in the 2014 season, many are more than ready to hand over the keys of the Eagles offense to Mark Sanchez to see how he fares.

In his debut for the team, Sanchez went 15/22 for 202 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in three quarters of play. He already has Chip Kelly’s full confidence.

“I feel great about Mark. I thought he’s done a great job in our system. I thought he played outstanding in the preseason and showed no rust or anything when he got in there against Houston yesterday.”

Indeed, the Monday morning buzz around the NFL, both locally and nationally, was about how the Eagles may not be in the worst hands with the transition to Sanchez. Foles is tied with Geno Smith for the second-most interceptions in the NFL, at ten each.  Only rookie Blake Bortles has notched more INTs this season, with a league leading 13. Unfortunately, Foles’ play this season has been more of a liability than an asset to the Eagles offense much of the time.

So it is Sanchez’ time to try to lead a team for the first time since being released by the New York Jets. While no one expects miracles, if he can solidly utilize the many assets in the Eagles’ offensive toolbelt to their best ability, we may, once again, have a quarterback controversy in the city of Philadelphia.

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports