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The 7 John Doe of the NBA

Tuesday, November 20th, 2012

by LeRoy McConnell III

 

 

 

 

 

How many times have you sat in front of the TV during the NBA draft and wondered who in the HELL did my team just draft?  What country is he from again?  Why did they draft him?  I’ve never heard of this guy, can he play?  Instead you always hear about international players being drafted and stashed for years to come.  What is our reaction?  “There goes another wasted pick!”   We could have had this player who is ready to play right now.  Believe it or not, international players have proven very well in the states in recent years.  Let’s take the San Antonio Spurs for example.  Tony Parker (Belgium) and Manu Ginobili (Argentina) have both been part of three NBA championships playing with the likes of Virgin Island’s own Tim Duncan.  There are other superstars such as Dirk Nowitzki (the greatest international player of all-time), the Gasol brothers, Andrei Kirilenko, and Andrea Bargnani, who have all played at an all-star level.  But there is a new crop of international players making their wave in the NBA today.  The 7 John Doe of the NBA are:

7.  Houston Rockets Omer Asik #3 Center

Houston Rockets tried all summer to lure the likes of Dwight Howard to their organization at all cost.  Instead, he took his talents out west to LA LA Land.  As a consolation prize they picked up a back up center name Omer Asik from the Chicago Bulls.  Who is second year OMER ASIK?  Hmmmm from Turkey?  He was an afterthought, especially when they made the blockbuster trade to acquire James Harden.  Have you seen his numbers?  No afterthought anymore.  Mr. Asik, in his first game as a Rocket grabbed an astounding 19 rebounds against the Atlanta Hawks.  However, he did go scoreless, missing all seven of his attempts from the floor.  Since then, he has managed 4 double-doubles in 7 games.  His early season averages are 10.5 ppg, 12.9 rpg, and 1.3 bpg.  James Harden may be a sexier trade pickup but OMER ASIK is starting to turn some heads himself.

6. Denver Nuggets  Kosta Koufos #41 Center

First off this Kosta Koufos is from America, go figure; but he does have Greek decent and also plays for the Greek national team.  The 7-foot Kosta Koufos played his college ball at THE Ohio State University.  He could easily be part of a trivia question of who was the guy to replace Greg Oden at OSU (then again, who is Greg Oden?).  Kosta is in his fourth year in the NBA and has finally found a home in Denver.  In his first six games of the season he is averaging 7.4 ppg, 6 rpg, and 1.9 bpg.  He has already posted his first double-double of the year with 15 points and 10 rebounds against Utah Jazz.

5.  Minnesota Timberwolves Nikola Pekovic #14 Center

The Yugoslavian center started off playing in the Euroleague before making his way over to the Minnesota Timberwolves.  He enters his third season with the Timberwolves and has taken on a more active role since all-star Kevin Love has been out with an injury.  Pekovic has shown that he can muscle with anyone in the low post as he is averaging 15.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 1 bpg in the first 7 games.  Nikola has two 20-point games so far.  The Timberwolves’ front court of Andrei Kirilenko and Nikola Pekovic will be even tougher when Kevin Love returns from injury.

4.  Minnesota Timberwolves Alexey Shved  #1 Point Guard

Alexey Shved is a Russian born player who has been in professional basketball since 2006…at the age of 16!  He is a member of the Russian national team and has played the majority of his professional ball in Moscow before joining the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Like his teammate Nikola Pekovic, Alexey benefits from injuries to Rickey Rubio, who is sidelined with a knee injury.  Alexey is a 6’6″ versatile player that can play the 1 or the 2 guard.  He has range and a quick release.  He is currently averaging 9 ppg, 3.9 apg, and 3.1 rpg in 7 games.  His season highs so far are 16 points and 7 assist.  He is gaining valuable experience in his first year as he is seeing around 22 minutes a game.

3.  San Antonio Spurs Tiago Splitter #22 Power Forward

 

This Brazilian basketball player is probably the most recognizable player out of the group.  Not for his play, but because ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith screams his name out in embarrassing fashion.  “TTTIIIAAAGGGOOOO SSSPPPLLLIIITTTEEERRR!!!!”  I don’t know any team that recruits international players better than the San Antonio Spurs organization.  Splitter is in his second year with the Spurs and has earned the trust of coach Gregg Popovich.  Tiago is averaging 6ppg, 4 rpg, and 0.9 bpg while giving an average of 15 tough minutes per game.  Against the Lakers earlier this year he produced 9 points, 9 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 blocked shot.  He is getting valuable playing time in crunch time, and if Popovich endorses him, then you know he can play.  Oh and one more thing, Tiago… Stephen A. Smith has given you enough motivation to take care of business!

 

2.  New Orleans Hornets Greivis Vasquez #21 Point Guard

This Venezuelan basketball star played college ball at University of Maryland.  Greivis Vasquez was the top point guard in the country his senior year receiving the Bob Cousy Award.  The 6’6″ point guard was traded from Memphis in 2010 to run the point down there in New Orleans.  Vasquez is averaging 12.8 ppg, 8.8 apg, and 4.2 rbg in 8 games.  His signature game so far was 24 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds against the Houston Rockets.  He is comfortable at point guard and should be able to put up consistent numbers from that position.

Orlando Magic Nikola Vucevic #9 Center

Nikola Vucevic played three years of college ball at USC.  The Switzerland native is in his second season in the NBA and was part of the Andrew Bynum/Dwight Howard trade this past summer.  The Orlando Magic franchise is benefiting from Vucevic’s early play.  After 8 games he is averaging 11.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg, and 0.9 bpg so far this season.  He has recorded 4 double-doubles with his best game coming against the Phoenix Suns.  He managed to  put up 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists.

These players may be average JOE right now; but each of them deserve some mentioning.  Which player do you think has a chance to be the next Dirk Nowitzki, Pau or Marc Gasol, Manu Ginobili, or Anderson Varejao?

 

LeRoy McConnell III of “A Fan’s Point of View”, for War Room Sports

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Will the Philadephia Eagles Win Another Game in 2012?

Monday, November 19th, 2012

By Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

The Eagles were anything but a picture of confidence as they prepared to walk onto FedEx Field on Sunday.
(Image via the Philadelphia Eagles)

 

The Philadelphia Eagles may not win another game in 2012.

It’s not a statement made to be alarmist.  It’s one that may well be the reality.  I’ll still be watching/suffering through every single game.  But there are no longer any expectations from this Eagles team.

Nary a touchdown scored by the Birds in the 31-6 throttling by the Washington Redskins, who advance to 4-6 while the Eagles fall to 3-7.  Philadelphia is all alone at the basement of the NFC East.

Sunday was indeed about the quarterbacks, and the show was put on by the one not named Nick Foles.  Foles struggled, which wasn’t a surprise.  21/46 for 204 yards and no touchdowns and 2 interceptions for a 40.5 passer rating.  No one expected Foles to be a picture of polished precision after not taking reps for most of the season.  But you did hope to see some of the flashes of poise that impressed us so much during the preseason.

That’s probably hard to do when you’re in the midst of being sacked 4 times and hit many more with an offensive line who racked up penalty on top of penalty to add to their pitiful play.

Will there be cries for Trent Edwards to be the starting quarterback if Foles continues to struggle?  Perhaps.  But it would be foolish to think that a replacement at quarterback would matter at this point.  Philadelphia has to see what it has in Foles, for better or for worse.  And why not, as any hope for a meaningful run at the postseason for this Eagles team is gone.

We were treated to seeing RGIII notch a perfect 158.3 passer rating against the Eagles defense, completing 14 for 15 passes for 200 yards and 4 touchdowns.  If that wasn’t enough, Griffin III also averaged 7 yards per carry on the ground, totaling 84 rushing yards.

By contrast, LeSean McCoy averaged only 3 yards per carry getting 45 rushing yards, while Bryce Brown had 35, averaging 7 a carry.

For his troubles on Sunday, McCoy, who has for two seasons been the only consistent light for a struggling Eagles team, sustained an ugly concussion with just under two minutes left in the game.  Asked why on earth he or any of the starters were still on the field, Andy Reid stated, “Because we were trying to catch up and win the game”.

What?

A baffling remark for a confounding season.  Anyone interested in contributing to Philly Sports Muse out there?  Drop me a line.  Because I’ve run out of words.  It doesn’t just stay the same each week.  It somehow keeps getting worse.

Even Reid must realize that there is no option for him other than to leave at the end of the season.  Change is needed.  But don’t be fooled.  With regime change in our midst and no clear franchise quarterback waiting in the wings, the struggle of the past two seasons will not end when Big Red goes.  We’re in for a rough ride, but at this stage there is no other option.

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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All Eyes on the Rookie Quarterbacks as the Philadelphia Eagles Prepare to Face the Washington Redskins

Sunday, November 18th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

All eyes will be on Nick Foles today at FedEx Field.
(Photo via New York Daily News)

We all know that football is a team sport and that to get a win, all phases of the game must come together to propel a group to victory.  But come Sunday, it’s going to be all about the quarterbacks.

When the Philadelphia Eagles face the Washington Redskins at FedEx field on Sunday afternoon, the storylines and excitement overwhelmingly surround the two young quarterbacks who will lead their teams.

The reasons for the QB focus are manifold.  The playoff chances for both teams are grim, as today’s game represents a fight for the very bottom of the NFC East.  That’s not very fun.

The Washington Redskins have found their franchise quarterback in Robert Griffin III.  The hopes and dreams of a team who has been crap for years rides on the shoulders of this young man.  Is he the piece that’s been needed all along to start to turn things around for Skins?  It certainly looks that way.

As an added bit of intrigue, RG3 spoke about his meeting with Andy Reid at February’s scouting combine in Indianapolis this week.  While Reid portrayed the meeting as routine, Griffin stated that the Eagles head coach said that the Birds were “very interested” in him.  We know that the chances of Philadelphia actually getting this year’s #2 overall pick were slim.  But still, there will be an element of wistfulness at what could have been as we watch Griffin III go to work on today.

And then we have the Eagles.  Rather than being on the upswing of the curve like Washington, this is a team in decline.  If 8-8 was unacceptable to owner Jeffery Lurie in 2011, the team’s current 3-6 record is an abomination.  Two straight years of hope and hype and talent and the team has fallen apart.  It’s likely the last stand for Reid and Vick.  So that means all eyes are on third-round draft selection Nick Foles.

There is a lot riding on Foles’ young shoulders.  He will be fighting behind an offensive line that has performed so poorly that I’ve run out of adjectives to describe them.  Will Foles’ play be solid enough to give us hope that he could be the future for Philadelphia?  Or do you let him ride out the remainder of the season regardless of how he performs to better assess what you have in the rookie?

Updates on Mike Vick’s concussion reveal that, at least in the short-term, there may be no option other than to play Foles.  According to Rick Buckholder, the team’s trainer, Vick is not at all himself after sustaining a concussion last week against the Cowboys.

“He’s not very alert right now in terms of he just doesn’t have that energy.  He’s tired all the time, he’s slept a lot, and he’s not getting rid of that fatigue.  When I talk to him, he’s just not the Michael Vick I know when he’s healthy.”

At this point, Eagles fans are simply rooting for Foles to largely stay on his feet, put in a solid performance and prevent Philadelphia from falling to the very bottom of the division.

Foles, of course, will need a lot of help from his friends.  Thankfully, his first start in the NFL will be against a team that has the  29th overall defense in the league (30th in pass defense and a respectable 7th against the run).  But New Orleans was ranked dead last and we saw what happened there.  The Birds must utilize the incredible asset they have in LeSean McCoy and commit to the run to help Foles.  Defense has got get the Redskins off the field on third downs, a particular problem for the Eagles as of late.  In the last three games, opponents have converted on 17 out of 35 third down opportunities in the Bowles era of Philadelphia’s defense.  And Bobby April knows that special teams has done the Eagles no favors, this week taking full blame for the poor performance of the unit that led to a heart-stomping 78-yard punt return for a touchdown by Cowboy Dwayne Harris.

Football is a team sport, and at 1pm ET we will watch to see how — or if — the Philadelphia Eagles support Foles in his NFL debut by putting in strong performances during each phase of the game to help him succeed.  Vick certainly couldn’t do it by himself and there is no way Philadelphia’s rookie can, either.

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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Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: Should They Stay or Should They Go?

Friday, November 16th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

The Philadelphia Eagles have two highly touted corners in Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie whose futures with the team are uncertain after this season.

 

Rodgers-Cromartie is set to become a free agent.  However, making a deal with him or any other player is not a priority for the Birds at the moment.  With a 3-6 record and preparing to start a rookie quarterback on Sunday, the team’s focus is rightly on getting things done on the field.

 

DRC will make $1,963,750 this year.  But the far bigger paycheck goes to Nnamdi Asomugha, who is set to earn a staggering $15 million in base salary next season with $4 million guaranteed.  Jeff McLane of the Inquirer believes that the Birds will hang on to Asomugha, so as not to take a $4 million hit, but that his salary will be cut based on his production.

 

Speaking of on-field production, quarterbacks have a whopping 109.5 passer rating when throwing in Asomugha’s direction.  To say that’s damning is putting it mildly.  When throwing towards Rodgers-Cromartie  the figure is 62.4.  Nnamdi has only one pick on the season, while DRC has three, which all came in September.

 

Nnamdi Asomugha is in many ways the poster child for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2011 and 2012 seasons.  So much excitement surrounding the potential, and then nothing.  Will the Eagles bring him back for one more try in 2013 or choose to cut their losses and move on in the blood bath that will likely come at the end of the 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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Mike Vick’s ‘Significant’ Concussion Sets Stage for Nick Foles Start on Sunday

Tuesday, November 13th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

You going in to take a hit or is it my turn?

Andy Reid said on Monday that Mike Vick suffered a “pretty significant” concussion in Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys.  This fact sets the stage for Nick Foles to be the Eagles’ starter against the Redskins in Week 11, which is reportedly set to occur.

Said Reid,

“I’m just telling you Michael is hurting right now.  Nick is going to step in and be the quarterback until that point comes, and we’ll take it all from there.  Listen, I can’t project the future.  I’m just telling you what I’m telling you.  Mike is the quarterback.  Nick comes in, and he is a relief pitcher and does his thing.”

Yesterday I asked the question if Vick’s early exit from Sunday’s game is how things will end for the quarterback in Philadelphia.  Will that be his last appearance on the field as a starter?  After all, it’s how Vick got his own opportunity to start for the Birds in 2010, beating out Kevin Kolb for the role after Kolb suffered a concussion.

If Foles shows promise against the Skins on Sunday, how could Reid justify pulling him?  He wouldn’t have to because he wouldn’t do it.  And let’s say Foles does poorly and the team falls to 3-7 (UGH).  The season would be a wash at that point, with Vick virtually guaranteed to be gone at the end of the year.  So why not see what you have in the rookie?

Vick will focus on resting and getting better, but will the move to Foles mean any improvement for this Eagles team?  A squad already in desperate need of leadership now needs to get clamor behind a new quarterback.  Will that transition be the final piece to make the wheels come off of the 2012 Eagles or will Philadelphia finally make a play to stop its five- game losing streak?

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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Cowboys vs Eagles Preview: Desperate for a Win

Sunday, November 11th, 2012

by Brandon Campbell

 

 

 

 

Today’s showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field marks a battle of desperation.  Two organizations who entered the season with high expectations now see their teams sitting at a disappointing 3-5, with already slim chances of contending for a playoff spot on the line this week.

Both Philadelphia and Dallas are teams more similar than we’d like to admit.  Two squads filled with talent that can’t seem to put it all together on the field.  Two quarterbacks in Mike Vick and Tony Romo plagued with turnover troubles whose fanbases are coming to the painful realization that they are not the ones who will lead them to the promised land of a Super Bowl ring.  And growing calls for the end of the coaching tenures of Andy Reid and Jason Garrett.

In facing the Cowboys’ 5th-ranked defense, Philadelphia’s decimated offensive line catches a slight break with the injury of ILB Sean Lee.  But they will have their hands full with the force that is DeMarcus Ware, who is tied with Clay Matthews for the most sacks in the NFL with 9.  Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will move Ware around but anywhere he goes, Philadelphia’s o-line will struggle.

Demetress Bell will start at left tackle, where he will hopefully be slightly less of a disaster than he was when he stepped in for the injured Todd Herremans on the right in New Orleans.  King Dunlap will fill Herremans’ former roll at RT this week.  Dallas Reynolds will return at center, as will Evan Mathis at LG and Dennis Kelly at RG.

The Birds saw Vick sacked a season high 7 times and only managed a meager 13 points against New Orleans, the worst defense in the league.  Philadelphia must find a way to protect Vick, and the QB’s decision-making must help the line and keep him out of harm’s way as well.  For the Eagles to have any success they must involve LeSean McCoy and the run game prominently in their game plan to ease the burden of pass protection off the line.

Philadelphia, who went 0-5 in the red zone against the Saints last week, must make trips down the field count and get points on the board in order to begin to right the ship and win this game.

The Eagles D faces a quarterback in Romo who has the most interceptions in the NFL and a team that can’t get its running game going in light of an injured DeMarco Murray, who isn’t expected to play.  Wideout Dez Bryant has 42 catches this season and is a talented but inconsistent target.  Nnamdi Asomugha, who has struggled mightily since signing with the Eagles last year, was very successful against Bryant in the last meeting between Dallas and Philadelphia, so we’ll see if that success can be replicated today.

WR Miles Austin is neck and neck with Bryant with 41 catches, but Romo’s favorite weapon is tight end Jason Witten, who has 58 catches on the season.  The Eagles defense has gotten worse since changing to DC Todd Bowles.  If there is any game to step up and show improvement, it’s against the Cowboys.  The Eagles know that with Murray down the Cowboys have no option but to pass.  Romo has 10 TDs and 13 interceptions and, while throwing with 66% accuracy, he is killing the Cowboys offense with poor third down efficiency and turnovers.  Faced with a turnover machine and a decent but not fierce Dallas o-line, can the defense finally get the job done?

No predictions this time except for an ugly game between two woefully underperforming teams.  If the Eagles can’t pull this off at home we are in big, big trouble.

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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The Rumor Mill Churns: Jon Gruden to Replace Andy Reid in Philadelphia?

Friday, November 9th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

 

Will Jon Gruden put on a coaching headset again for the Philadelphia Eagles?

 

The fact that Andy Reid is in the midst of his last season as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles seems to be a foregone conclusion.  With a 3-5 record and a team in disarray, Reid has shown no ability to remedy the problems plaguing the squad or light the needed spark within his players.

For all intents and purposes, Reid is a lame duck coach.

He’ll keep talking but, like his team, we’ve stopped paying attention.

 

A true indication of the fact that Philadelphia fans and media are already thinking ahead to life after Reid are the reports about possible contenders to fill the expected-to-be-vacant coaching slot.  FOX29′s Howard Eskin kicked it all of on Thursday by saying that Jon Gruden is interested in a return to coaching.

More from Eskin, via Sports Illustrated,

“He enjoys working Monday Night Football in the ESPN Monday Night booth, but he is a coach and has the itch.  I’m told he wants to go to a team that can win and the key has a quarterback.”

So, Eskin said that puts two teams in the mix, the San Diego Chargers, where Gruden is tight with general manager A.J. Smith, and they have a good quarterback with Phillip Rivers.

“And the Eagles are also a good fit for the Gruden requirements,” Eskin said.  “He loves Philadelphia, thinks the Eagles will be a good team next year, and the keys here: He likes the backup quarterback, Nick Foles, who he has already worked out while working for ESPN.”

How much is Gruden liking Foles?  In a conversation about the performance of rookie quarterbacks this season, after talking Luck and Wilson and RGIII, the conversation turned to Foles (via Birds 24/7):

“I had Nick Foles in the preseason against New England.  Michael Vick got hurt on the fifth or sixth play, and Foles went the distance, on the road in Foxborough.  If you like prototype pocket passers with some functional mobility and a tremendous amount of toughness, Foles is interesting.”

“What really impressed me in the preseason was they weren’t running generic formations.  They ran about 30 different formations out of about eight different personnel groupings in successive plays.  So I see him recognizing coverages.  I see him getting to second and third receivers, just like you’d want a quarterback to do in that system, and I love his NFL size.  He reminds me a lot of Brad Johnson, from his football character to his ability to decipher a lot quickly, and we won a championship with Brad.”

Birds 24/7 co-author Tim McManus gave this caution about Gruden’s remarks:

“These quotes suggest he is high on Foles, though as anyone who has listened to his Monday Night Football broadcast can attest, he sounds high on everyone at one point or another.”

So very true…

Gruden last served as head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he was fired in January of 2009 after spending seven seasons with the team.

Could Jon Gruden be the next head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles?  It certainly sounds like a reasonable possibility. But does anything ever go as predicted with the Birds?  It’s just going to get more interesting from here.

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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Hope for the Philadelphia Eagles Hard to Find as Todd Herremans Placed on IR

Thursday, November 8th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

Todd Herremans is out for the season.
(Image via Barstool Sports)

The issues for Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive line got even worse on Wednesday when right guard Todd Herremans was placed on injured reserve with a broken foot, ending his season.

We knew the situation wasn’t good when Herremans was carted off the field on Monday night.  He appeared in the locker room on crutches following the game.  But as the Birds’ season grows more and more desperate, we needed some measure of hope.  Surely, somehow, Herremans would be okay.

Perhaps he will be, but not this season.  Official word from the Novacare Wednesday afternoon confirmed our fears: Todd Herremans would go to IR.  In his place, the Eagles promoted Julian Vandervelde from the practice squad, a lineman the Eagles had cut just before the start of the regular season.

Evan Mathis is now the only starter still standing on the line.  The Daily News’ Paul Domowitch called the mix-and-match mayhem “Evan Mathis and the Pips.”  To call them “porous” almost sounds too positive.  They can’t block a thing.

Mike Vick continues to take a beating behind them each and every time he gets on the field.  Monday night marked a season high 7 sacks on Vick with the line yet again performing abysmally against the blitz.  Which means that the Eagles had better be prepared to see a lot of it from Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan on Sunday.

Mike Vick is surviving as best he can.  “I just gotta believe in the guys in front of me,” he said on Wednesday.

For the season, Vick has already been sacked a whopping 27 times.  That’s four more than all of last year and we’re just past the halfway point of the season.  And that number doesn’t include the dozens of hits the quarterback has taken.

The question is always, What can this team do to improve.  Are there any answers to turn this thing around?

Vick says all he and his teammates can do is to keep on keepin’ on.

“Keep fighting.  Preparation is very important.  Don’t let up.  We’re going to catch a break here sooner or later.  This week has to be the week.”

“It’s not the funnest thing in the world to get hit over and over and over again.  But I keep getting up.  And I thank God that he blessed me with the ability to keep getting up, keep fighting, keep battling for this football team.”

“That’s why I continue to go as hard as I can and continue to make each and every play that I can.  Even though I sometimes find myself doing too much and overcompensating.”

The Eagles’ o-line woes point to one of the biggest conundrums for the Birds for the remainder of the season.  Many want to see Vick benched in favor of rookie Nick Foles, and that may well happen at some stage.  But even if Foles displays the same promise now as he did during the preseason, how long do you expect him to hold up behind this line?

With four straight losses, things clearly weren’t going well for the Eagles even with Todd Herremans in the lineup.  His season-ending injury adds to a long list of issues that makes it hard to see how there is any realistic possibility of the Eagles having anything but a miserable remainder of the 2012 season.

But if they can just get a win against Dallas it will all be just a lil’ easier to handle.

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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Tough Questions Face the Philadelphia Eagles After MNF Loss to New Orleans Saints

Tuesday, November 6th, 2012

by Brandyn Campbell

 

 

 

 

LeSean McCoy ran for 119 yards in Monday night’s game but his efforts weren’t enough to help his team overcome defeat.
(Photo via the Philadelphia Eagles)

Nothing like a Monday Night Football embarrassment.  The Philadelphia Eagles could only assemble 13 points against the worst defense in the league.  The Birds notched 447 yards of offense and yet only came out of the game with 13 points.

Where do you go from here?

The Philadelphia Eagles have now fallen to 3-5  in the 28-13 loss  to the New Orleans Saints with absolutely no signs of improvement in sight.  The fourth straight lost for the Birds.

Mike Tirico called it, “The night of the red zone nightmare.”  And that about sums it up.  The turnover issues returned, and in the red zone, no less.

The offense was 0-5 in the red zone.  Mike Vick was sacked 7 times.  The offensive line got even worse when Todd Herremans left the game early with an ankle injury and Demetress Bell put in an absolutely atrocious performance at right tackle.

On defense, Eagles fans may be wondering if Juan Castillo is available to return as coordinator as things on that side of the ball were a mess once again.  Getting pressure on Brees was absolutely essential this game, so of course the D did as little of that as possible, though Jason Babin and Brandon Graham had a sack a piece.  The secondary, the unit that now-defensive coordinator Todd Bowles was brought in to the team to coach, was as it has been for much of the season – a problem.

Andy Reid said that Mike Vick would be the quarterback next week against Dallas, and why not?  Nick Foles would get killed behind that line.  Heck, it’s a miracle that Vick has lasted this long.

So what now?

The last game the Eagles won was on September 30 against the New York Giants.  More than a month without a win.  It’s astounding.

Andy Reid’s postgame presser showed a man who no longer believes his words but is desperately trying to put on a brave face.  Mike Vick seemed shell-shocked.  Brandon Graham expressed utter frustration at wanting to save his coach’s job and play a good season to honor Garrett Reid but having no idea what’s going wrong.

The Eagles’ loss rounds out a complete week of suckitude around the NFC East, with each and every team in the division suffering defeat.  That at least means that the Giants haven’t been able to increase their lead over the Eagles.  Up next for Philadelphia are the Cowboys at home, an always-intense battle.  If the Birds suffer an embarrassing loss to Dallas at the Linc, the boos heard against Atlanta in Week 8 will seem soft as lullabies.

It’s clear that no one knows how to fix the problems with the Eagles because if they did, the issues wouldn’t keep reappearing.  They would be fixed by now.  Maybe there won’t be the dramatic wave of changes this week as many have predicted if the Eagles lost in New Orleans.  Perhaps the team is resigned to the reality of their woeful and habitual under-performance.  And maybe we all have to face the fact there are no more excuses – this is just not a good football team.

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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