This Is It!
Tonight’s wild card meeting against the Dallas Cowboys will not only go down as one of the most important games in this blood feud – but maybe the most important game in the star-crossed history of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Faced with the very real possibility of tonight being Donovan McNabb’s final game in Midnight Green, the Eagles must find answers against a Cowboys team that has had their number this season all while trying to avoid a first-round exit has kept me on edge all week. The immediate future of the Eagles is at hand – a loss tonight only increases speculation of the direction in which the franchise should go. I’m not really buying into the fact that the Cowboys are suddenly world-beaters, despite playing good ball the past month.
Here is what the Birds need to do to pull this out.
When the Eagles have the ball:
1. Last week the Eagles’ backs ran the ball seven times for a mere 23 yards, that won’t get it done in the preseason, let alone the playoffs. Possessing one of the biggest offensive lines in football, the Eagles during their 6-game winning streak ran the run/pass ratio was close to 50/50. The quickest way to neutralize the Cowboys speedy 3-4 defense is to attack it. Despite their lack of success this against it Andy cannot get down on the run if there is no success early. The offensive line needs to get physical from the outset. Leonard Weaver, LeShon McCoy and Brian Westbrook should have 35-40 touches between them easily.
2. Last week, the Eagles opened nine of their eleven drives by passing on first down. They were faced with second and long eleven times, third and long nine times and six three and outs. Running a total of 50 plays isn’t going to win you many games. I know Andy Reid can’t help himself when it comes to the pass but his play calling has to be better on first down. I’ll take 2nd and 6 over 2nd and 10 all day.
3. Brian Westbrook had nine touches last week - that’s not saying much. I believe Reid and Marty Morningwieg were feeling Westbrook out to determine his workload for today. Westbrook needs the rock in space, cracked bell or not, he’s still a matchup problem for most linebackers. Screen passes and lining up on the outside is the order for B West. It would help to maximize Weaver’s skills as a receiver to the fullest.
4. Build on Brent Celek’s 7 reception 96 yard day. I would work the passing attack through Celek depending on how he’s covered. Since he runs decent intermediate routes this will allow McNabb to go short or deep if the Cowboys plan to take Celek out of the game. As for DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Jason Avant, one of these three has to have an 100+ yard game in order for the Birds to have a better than average shot in this one. Jackson may have to hurt the Cowboys in intermediate slant and crossing routes before going deep. Maclin and/or Avant could benefit the most if McNabb has a big passing day.
5. The offensive line played better than I expected last week minus Jamal Jackson. But the obvious miscues loomed large. On the red zone fumble, the snap was low - but McNabb also took his eyes off of the ball. Jason Peters had a drive-altering personal foul penalty and the Cowboys notched four sacks. McNabb wasn’t running for his life but pressure was there. Expect a more cohesive line this week, in my opinion, the best way to bring an offensive line together is by running the ball, allow them to become the aggressors, thus dictating the pace of the game early.
6. Anyone notice Michael Vick last week? Same here. I know that Vick was nursing a sore thigh and maybe he could’ve played. I want to believe that Reid has been reserved with putting Vick on display all season for this situation. Don’t be surprised if Reid does something exotic with Vick in the backfield today.
When the Cowboys have the ball:
1. Where do I begin with the defensive unit? Let’s start up front. The Eagles inability to provide any pressure them giving up 479 yards of total offense, including an unheard of 7.0 yards per play. Defensive tackles Broderick Bunkley and Mike Patterson (1 sack) were thrown up and down the line for most of the game. Flozell Adams needed little if any help keeping End Trent Cole in check. The end rotation opposite Cole registered a sack but who noticed. The running combo of Felix Jones and Marion Barber combined for 29 carries and 182 yards on the ground. The run defense was a sieve that only opened up the passing game for the Cowboys.
2. For Jeremiah Trotter to be out of the NFL two seasons and play the game that he played last week speaks volumes about the linebacker corps. Trot was good against the run, getting an assist from Will Witherspoon. Moises Fokou has no idea of what to do on the field. Jason Witten and the inability to defend the screen pass are major concerns here. Failure to cover Witten has called for undersized Asante Samuel to help from the corner position - creating another hole. I don’t know what the deal is with Chris Gocong, but if he can walk he needs to be on the field today.
3. There is one play that I cannot erase from memory. It was one in which Sheldon Brown was sandwiched in between Roy Williams at about the 10 and Patrick Crayton in the end zone. By the time Brown realized that he needed to make a choice in coverage Tony Romo had made it for him. Another noticeable flaw was the secondary’s failure to use the bump and run – allowing Crayton, Mile Austin and Witten to run free constantly. This will be my only mention of the poor tackling displayed last week. That aside, I can almost promise you that if the corners are more aggressive at the line with some sort of blitz up front things will be different…a lot different.
4. The Eagles must rattle Romo early, I don’t care if it’s a sack or a hurry. Romo was allowed to sit back and play pitch and catch all day with his receivers (24-34 2 TDs 1 INT). The Eagles need to blitz in waves from all over the field. Make their offense uncomfortable and take the crowd out of the game.
Wrap up:
These Cowboys aren’t the Montana/Rice/Taylor San Francisco 49′ers, as good as Romo has been this season, he has stumbled and still has yet to produce under the lights in the postseason. McNabb is playing for more than just a win. From here on out it’s about his legacy in Philadelphia for whatever length of time he remains here. DMac’s destiny once again is right in front of him, he’s been here before and sometimes knowing that with your back is to the wall is enough to make you dig deeper.
Especially when nearly everyone has your bags already packed.
Prediction:
Eagles 30 – Cowboys 21
I can dig it! Nice Ron.
Nice piece Ron. The Eagles better put up or shut up tonight. It’s not gonna be easy with the D of Dallas. But I think. They can win.
One matchup that concerns me if Jason Witten vs. Jeremiah Trotter:
Trotter cannot stay with Witten and the Cowboys may look to exploit this matchup. However, on the other side of the ball…..Keith Brooking is a liability in coverage for Dallas. He can’t cover anyone out of Philly’s backfield nor can he cover Celek. I would definitely look to exploit ANY matchup involving Keith Brooking.
Somebody please shut Chris Collingsworth up…anybody, please.
HAHA I hear you Miranda.
Just wait until you hear Aikman and that fool slurp on Farve the next 2 weeks.
LOL!!!!
Origin, I swear……not even Karrine Steffans could compete with Collingsworth tonight.
HAHA.
The funniest and truest thing I heard collingsworth say was that the cowboys were double teaming Maclin and Jackson yet Reid kept passing……….LOL!!!
I remember when Randy Moss was with Minnesota they would double him and the other WR. So the vikings would run.
Funny how Reid never got this memo.
Anyway thats does it for my NFL watching for the year. Now I can spend sundays catching up on my NBA league pass watching and playing College Hoops 2K8 on playstation.
Origin,
Vick’s TD pass caught the Cowboys’ off-guard. However, the way Andy Reid was using Vick (one play there, one play there) wasn’t conducive to success against the Cowboys’ defense.
Vick can be unconventional, but he presents different problems for a defense that was focused on the ‘pocket passer’ McNabb.
Once we have seen McNabb wasn’t very effective, Reid should have yanked McNabb early in third quarter. However, the stubbornness started to kick in. So Vick sits.
The Eagles aren’t the same team from years past. The lost of Jim Johnson, Dawkins and others have weakened this team. And not finding that franchise power back still isn’t a priority and the Eagles continue to ignore this.
The thing is if Kolb was the backup Mcnabb would have been yanked.
But since he was the emergency QB he wasn’t.
I am not sure that Vick could have been successful in that situation either.
The thing was that the eagles never really tried to run the ball. It took them till late in the 3rd Qtr to even run try and run the ball out of the I formation.
They game plan really set Mcnabb and the offense up for failure. There is no way that they can go shotgun and 4 wide every play with Ware and the 1st round pick (spencer) that they traded to the Cowboys.
That OL has too many injuries to block those dudes. You must run at them to get them to play honest.
I am just glad that Vick nor Mcnabb got killed today behind that line. And that dumb play calling.
Now watch next week how the Cowboys do against a power back with a balanced offense. A better OL that can run block, a golden boy QB who they won’t be able to hit late without getting a flag thrown. And a run defense that isn’t small and can’t be pushed around.
Next week the Cowboys will be the Eagles and the Vikings will be the Cowboys.
ESPN’s Trent Dilfer is touting the Cowboys’ defense as the best defense he has seen in years. It would definitely be a LOL moment if Adrian Peterson goes crazy and runs for 200 yards, which is possible. Hoever, Favre wants to be the ‘hero’ so he might throw the game away with his world famous game-ending INTs..
..”I am just glad that Vick nor Mcnabb got killed today behind that line. And that dumb play calling…”
Andy Reid is better than Greg Knapp, but he is very stubborn..
Vick to Buffalo, McNabb to San Francisco?
Some fans and Philly media are screaming for Kolb… Let the Kolb era or Bubby Brister/Ty Detmer Part Deux era begin .
Yeap Patrick.
I hope those fools enjoy their 3-13 seasons……….I will be laughing my behind off.
Farve will win.
The thing is he doesn’t have to throw……..and now when he throws there are 8 men in the box to stop AP…..aka lil Bo Jackson.
The league have been trying to get Farve in the superbowl the last 2 years prior to this year. Except Farve been choking.
But this time the situation is perfect for him. Playing in a Dome…Check. Got arguably the best player in the league on his team……Check. Got maybe the best run defense in the league…..check. Got good young WRs……….check.
Man that super bowl Trophy should have been mailed to the Vikings after Chilly drove Farve to training camp.
The Cowboys looked great because they played 2 teams with beat up OLs the last 3 weeks. They also played 2 teams that can’t run and one of those teams refuse to run.
Hopefully Mcnabb goes to Denver or Miami.
Those 2 teams are ready to win.
I want Vick no where near Buffalo (I think they will let TO walk, so I don’t want Vick there). He needs to go to Carolina…….but thats just too right. I can’t imagine Vick with 2 good RBs and a great WR.
Heck no thats just too right. Black QBs don’t get that type of help.
WIP-610 in Philly is literally and figuratively writing McNabb’s and Vick’s NFL epitaph…
Philly need to be in the wilderness for a few years if the local media wants to push McNabb out…
Vick in Carolina would be FANTASTIC… Matt Moore is seen as the next big thing, just like Alex Smith or Kyle Boller or Derek Anderson or Trent Edwards or Chad Henne…
Vick with veteran WRs in Steve Smith/Moose Muhammad and their 1,000 yard running back duo (Stewart and D. Williams) would be great. Delhomme is TOAST. Matt Moore isn’t the answer.
I just don’t see McNabb in Denver, I believe Josh McDaniels may want Matt Leinart moreso than McNabb..crazy as it may seem…However, Miami may be a possibility…
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Adrian Peterson is a great RB, but he has a tendency to turn the ball over at the most inopportune time with those fumbles….I remember a game I thought Peterson would run wild against the Falcons in 2008, and in a game in Minnesota vs Atlanta, he had fumbled FOUR TIMES… To me, a healthy Michael Turner is better than AP..Turner is just as productive, but holds onto the football..
Patrick the WIP is insane.
Boy I can’t wait till Mcnabb is gone.
I remember how many fans in Philly wanted to run off AI. Now the 76ers aren’t crap.
The same will happen to the eagles.
When Kolb starts throwing 25 ints in a season lets see how much they love the golden boy. But don’t worry they will make up every excuse in the book for him.
On a side note, I wonder if Kolb is named QB, will they do what the Falcons did when they got Matt Ryan? Vick never had a franchise power back, and once he left they got the 245 lb Michael Turner as Ryan’s security blanket. Will Andy Reid make Kolb a ‘manager’, then go and try to get Larry Johnson or draft a franchise RB.
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Just like Cutler… the excuses..
What do you think about Lovie being allowed to stay in Chicago? Cutler is a coach-killer, and even though Cutler is this decade’s JEFF GEORGE, the general media sentiment and fan sentiment is that Lovie should be fired and that Lovie is holding Cutler back..
Brotha Patrick.
They will no doubt get Kolb a big back and call a balanced offense.
They always make sure to try and put the golden boys in good positions.
Lovie only kept his job because the Bears are even cheaper then the Eagles. The team is ran like a Flea Market by the McCaskey family. With Lovie having 2 years left on his contract it was a money decision.
Cutler is another golden boy and the Bears will make sure to surround him with talent. They have to jsutify the trading of all those picks for him.
Lovie really has no say in that organization. The move to keep Rex Grossman a starter during the superbowl run was from ownership. They had to justify drafting and paying Rex all that money.
Anyway the ball is in Mcnabb’s court. I say if they try and trade him………he should say he isn’t going to sign an extension with the team thats trading for him. That way he can force his way to a team that he wants to go to. F it the fools in Philly hate him anyway.
The messed up part in all of this is that if Kolb would have played well in Baltimore last year. Mcnabb may have been traded to the Vikings and would be playing in the superbowl this year.
“ESPN’s Trent Dilfer is touting the Cowboys’ defense as the best defense he has seen in years.”
I guess Trent Dilfer didn’t see ANY of the Steeler games and that defense from last year.
watching the Pats get terrorized like this by Baltimore makes me want to cry tears of joy.
It looks like I might break even on today’s games, I would not want to be San Diego or Indy because both teams can’t run the ball for shit and like I told my girlfriend (who’s a big Pats fan) that in the playoffs you have to run the ball to keep defenses honest and failure to do that will get your butt eliminated.
Amen on that Eric.
2 one dimensional passing teams down………(pats and eagles).
And 3 more one dimensional passing teams left to go down (Arizona, Chargers and Colts).