Eagles Playoff Hopes Alive

As the season grows older, judgement day edges its way toward Philadelphia. To be or not to be? The grand question is simple; will the Eagles make the playoffs? If i had the definite answer to this question, I'd be getting paid big bucks; however, I do have an educated opinion. The Eagles are currently seeded 8th in the NFC conference. The Giants and the Cardinals are a lock for the playoffs, while the Vikings and the Panthers are currently leading their division. If the playoffs were to start today, the 9-4 Buccaneers and the 8-5 Cowboys would fill the two wild card spots. The Atlanta Falcons are at 8-5 and are seeded 7th, one spot ahead of the Birds. Fortunately for the Birds, the playoff picture can become a lot clearer by the end of Monday night. The Cowboys must play the New York Giants. If logic takes precedent, then the Giants should win. The Falcons will face off against the Bucs at home. This game will be close, but Eagles fan must root for a Buccaneer victory. If the Bucs win on Sunday, the Falcons will fall to 8-6. The Eagles play the Cleveland Clowns, excuse me, the Cleveland Browns. Ever since their victory against the Giants, the Browns production has diminished. The Eagles should beat a struggling Browns team.

So, the conclusion is this. A Cowboy loss, a Falcon loss, and an Eagle victory jumps the Eagles ahead of both teams. The Cowboys would be 8-6, the Falcons would be 8-6, but the Eagles would be 8-5-1. Lets be honest, the tie against Cincinnati is a killer, but it is better than a loss. The Eagles playoff hopes are alive! Fly Eagles, fly, to the road of victory!

Eagles Win

20-14, Eagles win over Giants. Despite being a serious underdog, the Eagles came out on a cold Sunday in New Jersey, and gave the Giants a shot in the mouth. The 10 days of rest did wonders for Brian Westbrook, as he looked fresh and explosive. Westbrook was unstoppable, finishing with a 131 rushing yards, 72 receiving yards, and a pair of touchdowns. McNabb was consistent and steady, throwing for 191 yards, completing 19 of 30 passes. McNabb threw one touchdown pass to Westbrook, but the big statistic was that he did not turn the ball over one time in the game.
On the other side of the ball, the Eagles seemed to have an answer for that tremendous running game of the New York Giants. After tormenting the Eagles in the first meeting of the season, the Eagles held New York to only 88 net rushing yards. To be honest, the scoreboard makes the game seem closer than it really was. The Eagles never trailed in the game. As a matter of fact, the Giants blocked an David Akers field goal attempt. David Dockery scooped and scored, returning the blocked kicked 71 yards for a touchdown. This happened at the closing moment of the first half, giving the Giants their only spark for the entire game.
The Eagles didn't only win this game, but they sent a very aggressive message. The Eagles are still in the hunt, hope is still alive. Fly Eagles, fly, to the road of victory.

Eagles to Face Giants

The Eagles looked impressive in their victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Thanksgiving Thursday, but that win is now nothing more than the past. The Eagles now must face the best team in the NFC East division, the best team in the NFC, the best team in the NFL. The must travel to New York and play the Giants. Contrary to what many people believe, the Eagles can win this game. Think about it, the Giants are good, but they are definitely beatable and they should that when they loss to an underachieving Browns team. No matter how much they say Plaxico Burress' antics aren't a distraction, they are. Jacobs will be returning from injury, so expect him to be a step below his best. As for the Eagles, they are coming off an impressive victory, Westbrook is going to play in the game, and the Eagles understand what is at stake. The Eagles realize that with a win, and a Cowboy loss against the Steelers, their dying chance of making the playoffs suddenly becomes slightly revived. The Eagles can win this game. Don't forget, the Eagles took the Giants to the bring when the two teams played the first time earlier in the season. The Giants haven't gotten worse, but they are dealing with a lot of unnecessary pressure and they simply are due for a loss. Eagles will beat the Giants, go Birds!

TIE!!!!

After watching 75 gruelling minutes of the game, neither the Bengals or the Eagles proved to be victorious. 13-13 was the final score of one of the worst football games I have witnessed as a fan of football. Neither team deserved to win the football game. Both teams should be very disappointed in their performance on Sunday. The Bengals should have one the game, but Shayne Graham failed to nail a 47 yard field goal with only eight seconds remaining in the overtime period. On the other hand, the Eagles should be embarrassed that the second worst team in the NFL even hung around with them for 5 quarters of play.

McNabb was awful, throwing a career high 58 passes but completing only 28 of them for 339 yards. Let me not forget to mention he had a touchdown pass, along with three interceptions. To make matters worse, McNabb confessed in a press conference that he did not know there was only one overtime period in the NFL. That comment alone summarizes this season for the Eagles. It feels as if the Eagles don't know anything, almost as if they don't know they are fighting a loosing battle for a playoff birth. The Birds need to get there act in order because thanks to their little "tie", they find themselves in last place of the NFC East.

Eagles fall a Yard Short of a Possible Victory

Eagles loose a close game at home, 31-36. The difference in the game to me was a yard, or maybe even an inch. Eli Manning's heal was only an inch behind the line of scrimmage when he was awarded a controversial completion in the third quarter, which eventually led to a short yardage touchdown run by Jacobs. Brandon Jacobs was only an inch over the end zone line before fumbling the ball in the fourth quarter. The play was ruled a touchdown. The Eagles exercised a challenge the challenge for the second time of the game, but lost the challenge once again. On 3rd and 3 in the fourth quarter, Westbrook managed to gain only two yards on a toss to the right. On the ensuing play, the Eagles ran the ball again to the right side. Just like the time before, the Eagles came up a yard short. The Eagles were simply a day late and a yard short. They were a day late because they lost the battle of time by letting the Giants control the ball for 39 minutes. They were a yard short because, they literally came up 3 feet, 36 inches, short of a first down that would of kept a successful drive alive, late in the fourth quarter. This loss hurts. Please leave your comments

Eagles Blow Past the Seahawks

The Eagles dominated the Seahawks in every facet of the football game, defeating them 26-7. Seattle opened up the game with a 90 yard touchdown pass from Seneca Wallace to Koren Robinson. Things continued to look bad for the Eagles, as McNabb started off the game very rusty, resulting in Philadelphia's offense failing to score any points in the first quarter. The momentum quickly shifted for the Eagles, as they scored 14 points in the second quarter and shut the Seahawks at for the rest of the game.

McNabb finished the day 28/43, along with two touchdowns and one interception. McNabb's favorite target comes as a bit of a surprise. The main recepient on the day was not DeSean Jackson, not Kevin Curtis, nor was it Brian Westbrook. Back up tight end Brent Celek was the main target on the day, finishing with six receptions for 131 yards.

The Eagles will now prepare to host the Super Bowl Champions. Keep an eye on tonight's game, as Washington will host the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the Cowboys loosing yesterday, the Eagles are very well in the mix of an intense playoff race. If the Steelers can take care of the Redskins, then the Eagles suddenly can find themselves controlling their own destiny with a win over the Giants. Just food for thought. Fly Eagles, fly!

Eagles Fly Above Falcons at Home

The Eagles continue to fly high, as they defeated the Falcons 24-17 in the Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday. The Eagles improved their record to 4-3 on the season and are now 10-0 when coming off of a bye week.

The Eagles proved a lot with this victory. The Eagles showed that they belong in the postseason, as they continue to keep stride with the other teams of a very tight NFC East division. For the first time this season, the Birds were also able to showcase their explosive offense in its entirety. Westbrook finally came back from a rib injury and Kevin Curtis played for the first time this season. Westbrook, along with Curtis, and let us not forget DeSean Jackson, gives McNabb some very speedy options on offense. Westbrook was clearly the star of the game as he finished with 22 carries, 167 rushing yards, and two touchdowns. He also caught six passes for 42 yards, giving him 209 total yards on the day.

On the defensive side, the Birds "grounded" Michael Tuner and "picked" on Matt Ryan the entire game. Turner managed to gain only 58 rushing yards, despite carrying the ball 22 times. QB Matt Ryan did not enjoy much success against the Eagles defense either. He was intercepted twice, once by Lito Sheppard and once by Asante Samuel.

This was a good win for the Birds. The Birds are flying high! Please, leave your comments about the game. The Eagles will head west next week to face the Seattle Seahawks.

Eagles Gain Ground on Bye

The Eagles had the week off, but there was plenty of action taking place on the field. As a matter of fact, the Eagles did not take a single snap, but they currently find themselves a step ahead in the NFC East division race.

With Dallas suffering an embarrassing loss to the St. Louis Rams, the Birds no longer look like the worse team in the Division. Honestly, the Birds should have a sense of optimism. After all, the Eagles crushed the St. Louis Rams in week one. Yes, this is the same St. Louis team that defeated the Redskins and obliterated the Cowboys 34-14.

The Eagles will continue to prepare to host the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons will enter Philadelphia with plenty of momentum after there 22-20 victory over the Chicago Bears in week 6. The Falcons will be very well rested from their week 7 bye as well. With Tony Romo Hurt and the New York Giants facing a very talented team in Pittsburgh, the Eagles can find themselves in the thick of the hunt with a victory over Atlanta.

Eagles Squeeze by 49ers

After being called out by team leader Donovan McNabb, the Eagles answered with a 40-26 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The Eagles started the game with great intensity, but failed to score any points throughout the entire third quarter. Despite heading into the fourth quarter down nine points, the Eagles rallied together and tallied up 23 unanswered points to defeat opponent.

If a game ball were to be awarded, Correll Buckhalter would have to be the recipient. Heading into this game, the running game was being heavily criticized and was under even heavier scrutiny after Westbrook suffered a rib injury. Buckhalter managed to snag seven passes for 85 yards and managed to rush for 93 yards and a touchdown after carrying the ball 18 times.

The Eagles are flying high after this win, but the defense allowed an opposing rusher to gain over 100 yards for the second week in a row. The Eagles must start playing FOUR quarters of football. Fortunately for the Birds, they were able to rally late in the game against the 49ers, but this pattern of inconsistent play is bound to hurt the Eagles in the long run. The Cowboys lost to the Cardinals, the Redskins were upset by the Rams, and the Browns dismantled the Giants. In so many words, the Eagles can breathe a little easier heading into their bye week.

Eagles "drop" 2nd Straight Game

The Eagles started Sunday's game with a purpose. I literally went to go grab a cold beverage out of the refrigerator and when I returned, the Birds had a 14-0 lead. That lead would quickly diminish. The Eagles failed to post any points after the first quarter. It wasn't until late in the fourth quarter when the Birds managed to score only on a David Akers field goal. The Eagles lost, 17-23.

There were a few things that went wrong on Sunday, but the biggest problem was the stagnant offense. The Eagles simply "dropped" this game away to the Washington Redskins. Receivers get paid to catch passes, but I couldn't tell on Sunday. While Jackson and Westbrook dropped a pass or two, it was Reggie Brown who couldn't catch a cold on Sunday.

Aside from offense, the defense simply let Portis do what he wanted on Sunday. The Redskins controlled the ground, controlled the clock, and essentially controlled the game. This game is the first game where I honestly feel like the Eagles were simply outplayed. The Eagles now "drop" to 2-3. Please post your comments about the game.

Eagles Fail to Fly Over Bears

24- 20, is the score to Sunday night's game. No, the Eagles did not win, but there is no reason why the Eagles shouldn't have came away with a victory over the Chicago Bears. Don't get me wrong, the Bears get payed to make plays as well, but lets be honest.... The Eagles gave the game away on the one yard line when they failed to reach the end zone at the end of the game. Despite the last play of the game, the eagles failed to come away with touchdowns two times earlier in the game. Ultimately, these field goals put the Eagles in a "must score" position at the end of the day. So what can we take from this game? First and foremost, the Eagles are a very talented team. The Birds defense held the Bears to 256 total yards, while the offense showed tremendous flashes periodically throughout the game. One thing that is certain though is this; Brian Westbrook has to get healthy, God Speed! Buckhalter is doing well in filling in for Westbrook, but he simply is not Westbrook. The Eagles need Brian Westbrook in order to have success throughout this long, vigorous season. Birds fans, don't get down. The Eagles are still in a solid position, but they must find ways to win games instead of finding ways to loosing them.

winton

DSU quarterback Vashon Winton celebrates in the endzone after scoring the games first touchdown during first quarter action Thursday night. Winton faked a handoff and rolled around the left side untouched from two yards out. DSU opening season game against Florida A&M Thursday Sept. 4, 2008. The News Journal/Gary Emeigh

Close but no cigar

Despite the valiant effort that the birds put forth, they simply fell short to "America's team". The Eagles loss is bitter sweet. A loss is always hard to deal with, but the Eagles did travel to Dallas, play controversially the best team in the league, and they showed spurts of greatness which will provide confidence and optimism for themselves and the fans throughout the remainder of the season.



So they came up short, 37-41. So how exactly did the Eagles loose? The answer to this question is fairly simple; Marion Barber! The Eagles did two out of three things very well. The offensive line protected McNabb and the Eagle offense consistently challenged the Dallas defense. The Eagles were able to limit Barber early on in the game, but the game changed as soon as Marion Barber started running wild. Barber finished the game with 63 rushing yard on 18 carries. Don't let the rushing numbers fool you, as Barber did the majority of his damage in the fourth quarter by consistently punishing the Eagle defense and moving the chains. If that wasn't enough, Marion "the Barbarian" also snagged four passes which resulted in 51 yards and a touchdown.



The game was, without a doubt, an offensive game. This game along produced the most points ever between the meeting of the two teams. McNabb completed 25 of 37 passes for 281 and a touchdown, while Westbrook added a one rushing and one receiving touchdown, giving him two touchdowns on the day. Also, the rookie DeSean Jackson look like a true stud. Yes, he did make a "bone head" play by prematurely celebrating a touchdown, but in my opinion, that does not take away from his second straight 100 yard receiving game.

Romo had a big day as well , and T.O. was on the receiving end of two of those touchdowns. Romo finished with well over three hundred yards passing, and despite some mistakes, he made some big plays.

The bottom line is simple. The Cowboys simply controlled more of the game in the fourth quarter, and Barber the reason. Despite loosing, I feel Eagle fans should have a great deal of optimism heading into the Steelers game. Please, share some of your feelings from the game.

3 things Birds must do to soar over the Cowboys

With just minutes until kickoff, a fan must ask his, or herself; what must the birds do tonight to win? The Eagles are preparing to face their biggest challenge very early in the season. They must travel to Dallas and play a very talented and confident football team. The Cowboys showed last week why they are considered "America's team," as they routed the Cleveland Browns last Sunday, 28-10. Without a doubt, the Cowboys are an offensive juggernaut and a very aggressive defense, but this team has weaknesses just like any other team. In order for the Eagles to win they must take heed to the following things.

First of all, the Eagles must attack the Dallas defense. There is a lot of talk about the aggressiveness and speed on this Dallas defense, but I personally do not believe the hype. In particular, many people tend to talk about the talented secondary, but that is the exact area the Eagles must attack. Adam "Pac Man" Jones is still trying to work out his kinks and regain his feel for the game. On the other side of the field, Terence Newman is questionable after hampering a groin injury. The Eagles must take advantage of the two corner backs with the explosiveness of DeSean Jackson and the versatility of Brian Westbrook. It also isn't a secret that the Cowboys Safety, Roy Williams, can not cover. I like the match up between L.J. Smith and Williams, as it is strongly in the Eagles favor. The Eagles offense must take chances and make these so called "stars" in the secondary earn their paychecks.

Secondly, the Eagles must protect their quarterback. Dallas has a talented rush end in DeMarcus Ware, but the Eagles offensive line can not allow this Dallas defense to develop any momentum. In order to take advantage of the aggressive Dallas defense, the eagles should utilize some screens and draws with Running Backs Westbrook and Lorenzo Booker. By effectively executing these plays, the Cowboys will have to be somewhat conservative on defense and this should ultimately make protecting McNabb easier for the Eagles offensive line. The Eagles must take advantage of this aggressive defense and protect their signal caller or else they will be in for a long night.

Last, but not least, the Eagles defense must force the Cowboys offense to become one dimensional. To be specific, the Eagles must take away Marion Barber. It seems like America loves Romo, T.O. embodies the word superstar in every pase, and Jason Witten is a "chain mover," but the fuel of this offensive machine is none other than Marion Barber. Without Barber running effectively, Witten no longer seems like the leagues best tight end, T.O. suddenly seems to be unable to hold on to the ball, and America all of a sudden seems to question whether Romo's personal life is an interference with his play on the field. The bottom line is this; Romo still has an abundance to prove. He has yet to advance in the playoffs and this Dallas team has yet to meet the very high expectations that many fans and spectators have for them. Pressure bust pipes, and Romo has yet to shine when the pressure is all on him. Romo is good, not great, and without Barber, Romo suddenly seems only decent. To the Eagles favor, Marion Barber is going to be playing with bruised ribs. Expect Felix Jones to take some of the load off of Barber, but this should work in the Birds favor. Jones was impressive last week, but he is a rookie and lets face it, Barber is clearly a beast. As long as Barber doesn't have the ball, the Eagles can breathe a little softer.

If the Eagles can do these three things, they will without a doubt, win the football game. If the Eagles successfully excecute these three elements, they will soar over the Cowboys.

impressive debut for the birds

The season has officially arrived, as the first week of the NFL was full of great action and excitement. The Philadelphia Eagles not only flew, but they clearly soared above the grounded St. Louis Rams as they won 38-3.

The Eagles looked virtually flawless. The offense operated at high voltage, as the Eagles generated 522 yards of offense. Out of the 522 yards accumulated, Donovan McNabb accounted for 361 yards through the air, while Brian Westbrook carried the ball 15 times for 91 yards.

While McNabb and the Eagles shined, there wasn't a player on the field who had a better opening day debut than DeSean Jackson. After falling all the way into the second round of the NFL Draft, Jackson seemed to play with an unannounced chip on his shoulder. Jackson was on the receiving end of 6 of McNabb's passes. Jackson finished the game with a total of 106 receiving yards and some very impressive kick returns.

On the other side of the ball, the defense was very stingy, allowing the Rams to get on the board with a field goal once the game was obviously out of reach. The Eagles would finish the game allowing the Rams to achieve only eight first downs and 166 total yards.

So what do we make of this stellar performance? Don't get me wrong; the Rams are not the Patriots. Even with that being said, the Eagles didn't only beat the Rams, they embarrassed them. Lets not forget about the Rams offense. Marc Bulger, Torry Holt, and Stephen Jackson are all creditable studs. Even still, the Eagles shot down a very potent offense and won the game in an impressive fashion. Please give some insight on the game as we move forward and prepare for the Dallas Cowboys.

Season Opener

On Sunday, September 7th, the Philadelphia Eagles will host the St. Louis Rams, in their season opener at the Lincoln Financial Stadium. The Eagles have made some very key acquisitions, they have released some veterans, but most importantly, most of their key players will enter the season opener healthy.

Sunday will serve as a a chance for the Eagles to get a feel for their young, but talented, linebacking core. Lets also not forget that Sunday will be Asante Samual's debut as an Eagle. With Samuel, Brown, and Sheppard manning the corner back positions for the Eagles, opposing offenses should have a very difficult time finding the endzone through the air.

On the other side of the ball, the Eagles will finally have the oppurtunity to showcase their explosiveness and speed. The additions of DeSean Jackon, Lorenzo Booker, along with a healthy McNabb and Westbrook, the Eagles should have one of the most explosive units in the entire National Football League. Unfortunately Kevin Curtis will be a "no go" for Sunday; however, his injury will allow for more playing time for the rookie, DeSean Jackson. Jackson has been a stud in the preseason, and I don't see any reason why his success will not spill over into the regular season.