Posts Tagged ‘Jeremy Maclin’

Chip Kelly: Genius?…or Arrogant Dictator?

Wednesday, March 4th, 2015

by Robert Williams

Robert Williams Blog

 

 

 

 

(Image via WhartonMagazine.com)

(Image via WhartonMagazine.com)

The Philadelphia Eagles have cut their best pass rusher and now they have traded their best running back in team history. They are about to let their best wide receiver and second best pass rusher test the open market.  Eagles fans throughout the nation are completely in shock. There are two things that can come from these moves.

 

1.) Chip is building his team with his players. As a coach who has been in the league for two years, he has a feel for what he wants. He has assumed complete command of the front office. His director of player personnel was picked by him, who was the head recruiter for Alabama. Kelly intends to maintain the balance of power he once had when he was in college; which lead to the success of the Oregon college football program. He had success without successfully recruiting top players in the country. He believes in the motto ‘hard work beats talent if the players are willing to work hard’. The owner Jeffrey Lurie wouldn’t have given Kelly so much power if he didn’t trust him. He did the same thing with Andy Reid and that turned out well in the long run. With these moves he has freed up to $50 Million+ in cap room. The team can potentially sign more players in free agency to build around their dilapidating defense. Plus Nick Foles and Mychal Kendricks contract are up next year, so this is a great opportunity to build for the future. Those players were Andy Reid players and he simply wants to bring in his own players. Hopefully they’ll be more successful.

2.) Chip Kelly is not making conscious decisions. He hasn’t recognized the team chemistry these veterans have been building. LeSean McCoy and Trent Cole wanted to restructure their contracts for the team. Brandon Graham wants to stay here (if the price was right). He noted he still had some unfinished business with the team. Kelly needs to understand these are not only players, but irreplaceable. Trent Cole draws so many double-teams, it leaves one-on-one matchups for the other players to get sacks. We’ve seen this with Jason Babin and now Connor Barwin. Not that they are not great players in their own rights, but they wouldn’t be as effective without the presence of Trent Cole. The other Eagle that will be missed (if he is allowed to leave) will be Jeremy Maclin. He is coming off a career year in which he made the Pro Bowl and was a strong candidate for Comeback Player of the Year. His impact will be missed to a young inexperienced Wide Receiving corps. Brandon Graham is a rare player to find. He can play either as a 3-4 OLB pass rusher or a 4-3 defensive end. He proved this year he can be a three down player. He was supposed to be a replacement for Trent Cole, instead he will be allowed to test the market. LeSean McCoy has been the most productive running back since he has been drafted. He is also coming off of back-to-back Pro Bowls. It was hard for him to gain yards last season due to injuries to the offensive line and repetitious play calling. Chip Kelly ridding himself of all of these players is a dangerous move. These are not players that can be replaced in the draft and free agency; these are polished NFL players. Kelly has brought his Oregon players onto the team and they haven’t been productive at all.  It is looking like the Eagles are trying to tank this season like their brethren across the parking lot.  The team needs to make some key moves in Free Agency and in the NFL Draft the next two seasons. If Chip Kelly cannot develop a deep postseason team in three years, he will be known as the biggest goat in recent memory.

 

Robert Williams, for War Room Sports

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Jeremy Maclin pulls out of Pro Bowl

Tuesday, January 20th, 2015

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

The Philadelphia Eagles’ Pro Bowl shuffle continues.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ Pro Bowl shuffle continues.

Last week, RB LeSean McCoy pulled out of the game due to a minor knee injury. Soon thereafter, it was announced that long snapper Jon Dorenbos and WR Jeremy Maclin were added to the Pro Bowl roster and would soon be making the trip to Arizona. Maclin was to replace the Broncos’ Demaryius Thomas; Dorenbos was selected as a need player by Pro Bowl coach Jason Garrett.

But now, that has changed.

Maclin has opted out of his Pro Bowl spot “for personal reasons,” according to CSNPhilly. One of the major snubs on the roster initially, the wideout was finally named to the roster after a career season.

Lions WR Golden Tate will replace Maclin.

After finishing the season with a 10-6 record, Philadelphia had nine players named to football’s all-star game. Jason Peters, Jason Kelce, LeSean McCoy, Darren Sproles and Connor Barwin were all named to the initial roster. Cody Parkey, Evan Mathis, Dorenbos and Maclin were alternates.

After suffering an ACL injury and missing all of 2013, Maclin cut a one-year deal with the Eagles to prove that he was truly back to form. He did exactly that. Now, Maclin is an impending free agent looking to negotiate his first contract since his rookie deal. While I’m sure the Pro Bowl recognition is appreciated, it’s not worth the risk of sustaining injury.

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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Total failing by the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense costs game against the San Francisco 49ers (VIDEO)

Monday, September 29th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

With the many questions surrounding what this Philadelphia Eagles team is and what it isn’t heading into the fourth game of the season, there was never a question about the offense. The 3-0 start showed that, regardless of the start, the

Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles offense could get nothing going against the San Francisco 49ers.

Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles offense could get nothing going against the San Francisco 49ers.

Birds would and could generate points in a variety of ways. Of course they can–that’s Chip Kelly’s hallmark.

Enter the trip across country to San Francisco to face the 49ers on Sunday, a game that flipped the script of the Eagles’ season so far. Yes, there were highlights, one of which you’ll see below. Even with the offense’s inability to get anything going, the game was within grasp until the last moments of the game. But Philadelphia just couldn’t finish. A 91-yard drive starting at 6:35 in the fourth quarter could have gotten the lead and probably the game for Philadelphia. They got within in 1-yard of the goal line, but they couldn’t seal the deal and fell 21-26.

Ironically, the Eagles didn’t wait until the second half to put points on the board against San Francisco. They got to a quick start and lead the Niners 21-10 at the half, but generated a grand total of 0 points in the second.

Nick Foles’ stat line for the day wasn’t pretty: He was 21 for 43 and 195 with no TDs and two interceptions. Ouch. The Eagles could have used some help from their running game, except it didn’t exist and is going to continue to struggle with the battered offensive line. LeSean ran the ball 10 times for a paltry 17 yards. After the game he called the performance “embarrassing” and said he didn’t want to talk about anything having to do with the run game. Makes sense, but, you’re the running back…

The offense’s implosion came on a day when the defense was stout. They showed that they could contain a potent offense and finally got some pass rush going. Safety Malcolm Jenkins returned an interception 51-yards to account for 6 of the Eagles total 21 points, making him the first in that position since Brian Dawkins to garner an interception in three straight games.

Special teams was amazing and accounted for the other two Eagles touchdowns, both of which occurred in the first half: Brad Smith recovered a blocked punt for a touchdown, then our boy Darren Sproles ran in an 82-yard punt return. 

Quick aside: Please tell me that someone from the Eagles has at least sent flowers to the Saints organization for the acquisition of Jenkins and Sproles, as both seem to be gifts that keep on giving.

The Eagles now fall to 3-1 with a lot of reason for hope, but a number of concerns as well. A performance just as this–for the defense and special teams to step up when the offense falters–illustrates exactly why football is a team sport. But when the offense doesn’t just sputter but totally fails, you have what we witnessed on Sunday. Amazingly, though, the Eagles almost won it.

When we have a week when all phases of the team are firing on all cylinders for the majority of the game, we are going to have something wonderful to behold. It will happen. Having the o-line back to health, when it happens, will help. Until then, keep those Tums nearby.

The first Monday of the season when we’re dealing with a loss. No Dunkin Donuts coffee. The hits just keep coming. Think about this play to make your day a little bit less brutal–Jeremy Maclin’s incredible diving one-handed catch in the drive that almost pulled the Eagles through.

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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Wild ride sees Philadelphia Eagles land on top in opener against Jacksonville Jaguars

Monday, September 8th, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

It was truly a tale of two halves. The first half was a nightmare; the second, a revelation. Seriously, weren’t they playing Jacksonville? Why were the Philadelphia Eagles such a mess?

In the opening quarters of the game, Foles was unsteady, holding the ball too long. The confidence of last season seemed to elude him. His first half achievements included throwing a red-zone interception and fumbling the ball twice. Much of the offseason chatter revolved around whether Foles could continue his consistent performances. The opening minutes of the 2014 season appeared to tell us that, perhaps, it wouldn’t be as certain as we anticipated.

But not so fast. It’s a 60-minute game, and in case we had forgotten, things change in an instant in the NFL.

Was it, somehow, the way Chip Kelly had drawn up the game plan? “Oh, God no,” said Kelly.

Whatever occurred in the locker room at halftime to right the many, many wrongs of the first half in Sunday’s game worked. Suddenly, the 17-0 shutout became a 34-point run by the Eagles for which the Jaguars had no answer, with Philadelphia securing a convincing 34-17 win.

Thank goodness for special teams, who kept the opening half carnage less than it would have been otherwise. Jacksonville kicker Josh Scobee did the Eagles a solid by missing a 50-yard field goal attempt. Then, when the Jags had an opportunity to extend their lead to 21-0, special teams did the damn thing and DE Brandon Bair blocked a 36-yard FG attempt.

After an awful opening quarter, the defense came back to put in a solid performance. Safety Malcolm Jenkins thought the Eagles being tested early was ideal.

“A team that hasn’t been tested can’t be trusted,” Jenkins said. “This was our opportunity to show what we’re made of, to show what we’re going to do when we face some adversity. I think we responded well.”

Part of the impressive response came at the end of the game to sign, seal and deliver an Eagles win, with big man Fletcher Cox recovering a fumble and taking it in for a 17-yard TD.

The turnaround began with a 49-yard touchdown run by Darren Sproles in the third quarter.  Can you say, great offseason pickup? The run was the longest of his career, and helped ignite an Eagles offense in desperate need of a spark.

Jeremy Maclin was in fine form for his regular season return, with Foles hitting the wide open receiver for a 68-yard TD in the fourth. He finished the day with 97 yards on four catches.

Even on a bad day, Foles threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns. Foles recovery from a bad performance in many ways may have given us more confidence in him than a perfect outing with no issues. You need to know that, even when rattled, your QB can still come back and win the game.

Unfortunately, the second-half comeback couldn’t right all of the wrongs that occurred in the first two quarters of the game. Left guard Evan Mathis was carted off the field with an injury to his left leg. An MRI on Monday to shed light on the extent of his injury, thought to be a sprained MCL. One play after the injury to Mathis, right tackle Allen Barbre, filling in for the suspended Lane Johnson, left the field with an apparent injury to his right leg.

The way this Eagles team was able to settle down and regain focus at the half, then come back to put together a 34-point streak shows what you want to see in a football team. They kept their cool and worked together to dig out of a deficit. Then, once they regained balance, they showed what they can do to get and retain the lead.

What more could you ask for from a Philadelphia season opener? There were boos, then wild cheers, and all while we gave our hearts an amazing workout as it all unfolded.

It’s great to have you back, Eagles football.

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Philadelphia Eagles D comes up big in win over Steelers

Friday, August 22nd, 2014

by Brandyn Campbell

Brandyn Blog

 

 

 

 

LeSean McCoy doing his thing against Pittsburgh on Thursday night (Photo: Drew Hallowell, Philadelphia Eagles)

LeSean McCoy doing his thing against Pittsburgh on Thursday night
(Photo: Drew Hallowell, Philadelphia Eagles)

It was only the first preseason win for the Philadelphia Eagles after three games, but it came right on time with the Birds’ 31-21 defeat over the Pittsburgh Steelers. During their preseason home opener on Thursday night, the starters on both sides of the ball put in a strong showing to ease lingering concerns as the regular season looms near.

The defense had the most to prove this game, and they did just that by shutting out the Steelers in the first half. At halftime, the Birds were up 17-0, and Philadelphia held on to an impressive 31-7 lead late into the fourth quarter. Notably, Pittsburgh kept their starters in the game until the third quarter but still couldn’t make much happen against the Eagles D. That’s what you like in the so-called dress rehearsal prior to the start of the season.

Defensive highlights included an interception by corner Nolan Carroll in the first half, and linebacker Mychal Kendricks had a standout performance with 4 tackles and a quarterback pressure. Safety Malcolm Jenkins eased some concern about the secondary by batting away a ball intended for Pittsburgh wideout Antonio Brown.

Both sides of the ball were impressive, with the offense also putting in a strong showing. Nick Foles threw 19/29 for 179 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception, Mark Sanchez was 7 of 9 for 85 yards, and Jeremy Maclin had 6 receptions and 43 yards. And after a rocky start, the offensive line showed just how good they can be when firing on all cylinders and working together on Thursday night.

There were injury scares to both LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin, but they were thankfully just that–scares. Both returned to the field and quickly were back in action.

With good, there is always bad: Kicker Alex Henery missed a *31-yard* field goal attempt, so yeah…there is still a major problem on that front. One that can’t be left unanswered.

Next up: Players on the cusp will fight for their jobs next week against the Jets.

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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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Philadelphia Eagles: Chip Kelly testing players’ versatility

Monday, May 20th, 2013

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

WR Jason Avant is happy to play wherever his team needs him.
(Image via Sports-Kings.com)

We’ve heard much about Chip Kelly’s energetic and efficient style of running Philadelphia Eagles practice: the loud music, the nonstop pace.  But Kelly has more tricks up his sleeve and is having his offensive players try their hand on defense in practice.

So far, TE Clay Harbor has taken turns at linebacker, “to be more versatile.”  Harbor says that practice at the position is only for “emergency situations,” but could Kelly be trying to find other possibilities for Harbor to remain on the roster with three other tight ends on the Eagles’ roster, including Brent Celek and 2nd-round draft pick and Stanford standout Zach Ertz?

If we know anything about Kelly at this stage, it’s that he continues to keep us guessing.

WR Jason Avant took turns in the defensive backfield last week and is pleased to be considered in other aspects of the game.  Avant has already demonstrated his versatility with his contributions to special teams and serving as an emergency quarterback for the Eagles.

“It’s one of those things that I work hard, and whatever that may be, and whatever the team wants me to do, I’ll do it.  Whatever that is – special teams, offense – whatever it may bring.  I’m going to do it the best I can. I don’t necessarily think it’s a clouded future.  I think it’s an honor, in any way, for any coach to think you can do other things.”

If these practice moves are keeping us guessing, they will likely do so to the Birds’ opponents, should Kelly wish to roll them out during games.  The Inquirer’s Zach Berman notes,

“New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, a friend of Kelly’s, has done similar things in the past.  Receivers Troy Brown and Julian Edelman have played defensive back in games.  Linebacker Mike Vrabel caught 10 career passes as a red-zone tight end.  The Eagles’ experimentation is not unprecedented, although it is uncommon at the NFL level.”

In a practice move not as dramatically different as his teammates’ turns on the opposite side of the ball, WR Jeremy Maclin has practiced punt returns.  This change can be chalked up to Kelly wanting to fully evaluate the abilities he has on each player on Philadelphia’s roster.  The 2012 season is the first that Maclin did not have punt return duties in his professional career, but it’s an option the new Eagles coach wants to keep open.

“Yeah, we’ll look at Mac back there.  Again, it’s May, so we’re going to take a look at him and Damaris [Johnson] and DeSean and [receiver] Nick Miller.  Russell Shepard is a guy that’s returned punts before, one of the rookies that’s out here.  So we’ll get a bunch of those guys because you never know in a game; all of a sudden two guys are hurt.

When you’ve only got a 46-man [game] roster, someone has got to go back there, and hopefully it’s someone that’s fielded punts before.  [Maclin] has got some experience at it, but we’ll take a look at him.  But does that mean he’s going to be our starting punt returner?  I have absolutely no idea right now.”

Kelly is testing the mental and physical prowess to their fullest as his players begin to settle in to his style of practice and leadership.  At this early stage in Kelly’s tenure, nothing is routine.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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Total Turnover Meltdown by the Philadelphia Eagles

Friday, December 14th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, Philadelphia Eagles fans.  We didn’t even get a week to enjoy a win.  We endure more than two winless months,  and then the victory that finally breaks the skid lasts for a mere four days.

Sigh.

The final Thursday night game of the NFL season saw a strong performance from the Eagles defense that was wasted by carelessness in the other phases of the game.  Specifically, the Birds made five turnovers that the Bengals turned into 31 points on the scoreboard, with Philadelphia wasting away a 13-10 lead it took into halftime to lose the game 34-13.

Sadly, Jeremy Maclin’s fumble on the second play of the game should have told us how the story would ultimately end.  Kansas City led the league in turnovers at the start of the game but no more.  The title now solely belongs to the Eagles, who have committed 34 this season.

In a horrific series of events in the second half, the Birds managed to give the ball back to the Bengals four times in five consecutive plays.  Foles threw an interception, Bryce Brown fumbled once again on a handoff that was never in his control, then Clay Harbor fumbled, causing Cincinnati to score 17 unanswered points in 5 minutes and 37 seconds.

Leave it to CSN’s Reuben Frank to break it down to an even more shocking perspective:  That meltdown equated to almost three points scored per minute by the Bengals.

A repeat of Sunday’s rousing performance by Foles was not in the cards this game.  The rookie struggled,  completing 16 of 33 passes for 182 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception for a passer rating of 62.9.

The shame of it all is that the sloppiness and epic screw-ups of the offense and special teams covered up a stout performance by the defense.  The d-line was all over Andy Dalton.  In the first half alone, the D had 4 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.  Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox put in inspired performances, with Graham getting 2.5 sacks and Cox earning 1.5.  Cullen Jenkins brought Andy Dalton down once, and get this — even Trent Cole had a sack.

This was the defensive line we were promised in the preseason.  We were finally seeing what all of the immense talent we knew could accomplish.  Unfortunately, it’s come far too late.

The good news for all of us — team and fans alike — is that we get a break.  The Eagles won’t play again until the eve of Christmas Eve, when they’ll face the Washington Redskins.  Our expectations will go back to being nothing.  Perhaps we’ll see some great play by the defense again.  Maybe the offense can put together another game like we saw in Tampa.  Something to lessen the torture of seeing a team in total meltdown.

But, then again, it’s what we’ve witnessed all season.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

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Is This How it Ends for Mike Vick in Philadelphia?

Monday, November 12th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

A tough hit, a tough loss.
(Image via the Philadelphia Eagles)

With each successive loss, hope for this Philadelphia Eagles team was harder and harder to come by.

Five straight losses, the most in Andy Reid’s tenure in Philadelphia.  The last time the Birds saw a win was on September 30 — the non-playoff Phillies saw a win more recently than Philly’s football team.

Perhaps more disturbing, there were no signs of improvement anywhere on the squad.  You know the talent is there, but the hope of putting it together in a meaningful way?

Gone.

Then came just the slightest glimmer of hope on Sunday in the form of the implosion of the New York Giants against the Cincinnati Bengals, which resulted in a 31-13 loss for the current NFC East leader.

Suddenly, if the Eagles could somehow pull out a win they would still have a shot in the division.

There was hope in the first Philadelphia opening drive of the season that resulted in a touchdown, with a one-handed, 2-yard beauty caught by Riley Cooper to take a 7-0 lead.  Vick was off to a strong start — 6/9, 70 yards and a 127.1 QB rating.

But then came former Eagle Ernie Sims to make a play, a tremendous irony as he neglected to do that his entire time in Philadelphia.  With 11:29 left in the half Vick was down for the count, out of the game with a concussion and an eye injury.

And finally, it was time.  Time to see what Nick Foles could do to help this team.

He made some good plays, he made some ugly plays.  For a rookie quarterback who’s gotten no snaps in practice he made a good shot, finishing 22/32 for 219 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception.  Those numbers just so happen to make Foles the highest total by any Eagles rookie QB in his NFL debut.  He connected with teammates Jeremy Maclin for a 44-yard TD and Stanley Havili went up the middle for a yard with 1:57 left in the game.  And that would be all she wrote for the Eagles in their 38-23 defeat.

The defense was able to put some pressure on Romo and notched 3 sacks, tying a season high.  But tackles were missed, and the Eagles again performed their specialty of allowing a team with little running game before the meeting to find a successful one against the Birds.

If any segment of the game captures this five-game losing streak and this defeat in particular, it’s  that 2:35 stretch in the 4th quarter where the Cowboys scored 21 points in all phases of their team — offense, defense, and a 78-yard punt return by Dwayne Harris?  Which showed a total meltdown on all aspects of the Eagles squad.  A streak of total humiliation to put a cap on an unbelievably awful outing against a hated Dallas team that just isn’t good.

Sunday demonstrated that for as bad as the Cowboys are, the Eagles are worse.  That’s a hard pill to swallow.  But it’s reality.

For those who wanted to see what Foles could do in the regular season, there will be plenty of opportunity to do that now.  Despite Reid’s assertion that he’ll have to see how Vick’s health is before deciding who will be the Eagles’ quarterback against the Redskins next week, you and I know that there is no longer any reason to play Vick.  While Vick gave Philadelphia the best chance to win when there was some chance of contending, that time has passed.  And sadly, there is just nothing to play for at this point.

It certainly can’t be for heart and pride.  We haven’t seen that out of this team in weeks.  So might as well make it about seeing what you have in your rookie quarterback.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

 

 

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Inside the Players-Only Meeting: Will it Save the Philadelphia Eagles?

Sunday, November 4th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

On three!
(Image via sportsphotographymashup.com)

With each loss, the issues grew more pressing for the Philadelphia Eagles: where was the leadership?

In the first loss following a bye week in the Andy Reid era, the team accomplished the appalling feat of getting worse instead of better.

Where was the leadership?  Players hung their heads in shame and vacated the locker room quickly.  But there was a strange detachment to the third consecutive loss on the part of Eagles players, it seemed.

LeSean McCoy came out and said what every fan and casual observer alike was thinking.

“How we played, how the game ended, I didn’t see any pride.  I didn’t see any heart.  This is the whole team, myself included.  We didn’t get it done today.”

Three straight losses and no fire.  A new defensive coordinator and no improvement.  An embattled head coach and yet they continued to show little fight.  What could save this Eagles team?

For the first time this season, a players-only meeting was held on Wednesday.  According to Yahoo! Sports,

“meeting was productive even though it was not always pleasant.  Players implored each other to talk amongst themselves, man-to-man, rather than go straight to the media.”

Which, of course, meant that an unknown player on the defensive ran to the media to give his perspective on the meeting and the team’s situation.

“Mike ain’t the problem.  Look, we all know he’s struggling.  That ain’t some secret.  But we’re not helping him and that’s the problem.  The defense isn’t helping him, the offensive line isn’t helping him.  None of us.  We all gotta help each other and that’s what we talked about.”

The unnamed player continued,

“This ain’t time to be throwing people to the street.  We already had that with [Castillo’s firing] and that didn’t work,” the defensive player said, referring to a 30-17 home loss to Atlanta in the first game after Castillo’s dismissal.  “We gotta hang together.”

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie didn’t hide behind anonymity.  Typically a quiet presence in the locker room, he felt that the meeting was an important opportunity to speak up.

“Yeah, because I don’t really say much.  I’m not into the talking game.  I just believe in going out and playing ball, regardless of what goes on.  Not a lot to be said.”

DRC knows that times are serious and that his teammates needed to hear his voice.

“It was a team thing.  I’m part of a team.  So I felt like if I speak, guys would listen.  I didn’t speak on much; I just said, ‘Let’s just play ball and see where that gets us.’”

Other players who reportedly spoke up in the meeting were Vick, Trent Cole, Jeremy Maclin, Cullen Jenkins, DeMeco Ryans and Jason Avant.

Will the meeting and the man-to-man discussions make a difference on Monday Night Football in New Orleans?  For a Philadelphia team all out of answers, it must.  With the level of dysfunction on this team, if the record falls to 3-5 things will be torn apart at the NovaCare – including a change at the quarterback position – and the chances for victory will diminish even further.  Half the season will remain, but the outlook is bleak if the Birds don’t even up their record at the Superdome.

Perhaps now isn’t the time to throw people on the street, to paraphrase the unknown player, but with a loss in New Orleans it will happen again.  The Philadelphia Eagles are playing to save their season, their quarterback and their coach.  Is the burden too much to bear?  We’ll find out on Monday night.

Want more Philly Sports Muse? You can find me on Twitter at @sports_muse and on Facebook.

 

Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports

 

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Andy Reid: Yeah, But…

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

In the words of Roy Jones Jr. “Y’all Musta Forgot”, but I damn sure didn’t. Those who know me best can attest to my glass-half empty personality. With that being said, let me commence to raining on the parade of the Philadelphia Eagles and Coach Andy Reid.  As an Eagles Fan, I am ecstatic about Sunday’s win against the midgets. But I haven’t forgotten about the things that pissed me off though.

(1) Andy Reid’s gross misuse of the red flag makes me want to scream. We witnessed this dude challenge a play in the first quarter of a game because he didn’t like the spot, yet on Sunday he didn’t challenge a play where DeSean Jackson was clearly down before he fumbled. That play led to the Giants’ final touchdown. I don’t get it. It has bothered me for years. We all know that if the Eagles had lost that game, Birds fans everywhere would have been calling for everyone’s job, especially Big Red.  Everybody says, it’s not his fault. He has someone up there looking at it. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Andy Reid the H.N.I.C., The Lord and Savior, and The Alpha & Omega in the organization? That means he had to hire whoever the chump is telling him when to throw the flag or not. Andy Reid is a hell of a coach, I won’t deny that, but when it comes to that challenge flag he makes me want to throw things at him.


(2) Dimitri Patterson.  It’s still hard for me to say his name without cursing.  After the game and celebrations ended, Dimitri Patterson should have visited the nearest police station to file assault charges on Mario Manningham for the abuse he endured during that game.  Towards the end of the game, Eli stopped looking for open receivers and started throwing wherever  Patterson was positioned on the field.  It was embarrassing.  The Eagles defense has been depleted and it seems they lose another key player every week.  Therefore, we get left with the Dimitri Patterson’s of the world.  He played better in the second half than in the first (that ain’t hard to do but still…), but if this is what they’ll be going into the playoffs with, I hope the offense is ready to light up the score board.

(3) Why no adjustments?  When Dimitri Patterson was getting burned, toasted and scorched by Manningham, did it ever occur to Andy Reid to make an adjustment?

(4) Mike Vick and DeSean Jackson are making plays that are out of this world, but can Shady and Maclin get some love?  While Jackson is an electrifying player, Maclin is more consistent.  He leads the team in touchdowns.  The speed of Jackson makes Maclin look like a pedestrian, but he is fast as well.  The Eagles have long since been identified as a passing team, but McCoy has been playing well in the running game.  Now he won’t be mistaken for MJD or Jamaal Charles, but he’s doing what’s asked of him and in my opinion, he is the Co-MVP of the team.

(5) The Eagles have given up an average of 24 points per game, that‘s more than the 4-10 Detroit Lions.  If the playoffs began today the Eagles would be a (3) seed and they would face the Midgets who would be the (6) seed.  Based on what I saw during the two match ups between these teams, big mistakes by the Giants have been the difference.  As a Birds Fan, I want nothing more than to party on Broad Street, but as I said before, I have a glass half-empty personality and on top of that, I haven’t forgotten the first 3 ½ quarters of Sunday’s game…have you?

Monica Pierce, Guest Blogger for War Room Sports. Read more of her writing @ monicasthoughts.com.

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