You Said:

“Maclin has had to toil under a final year McNabb who was well into his decline, and a Mike Vick who only completed 233 and 253 passes with the Birds. (He was 21st in the league last year)
Hard to catch 80, when there aren’t 8- catches to go around.

Then you said:

Top Qbs in the league complete 150+ more passes than Vick….put Maclin on NE and he’ll look like a superstar.

Ummm, Vick missed 3 games do to injury…so did you account for the attempts of Kafka and Young last season…No, you didnt…Also how about the games in which Vick left early due to injury?
Could this be the reason why Vick completions and attempts are less than those “top QB’s” in the league? I’m pretty sure it is…

How about giving the whole story next time

And what is in front of him is a team that has only 4 players (Desean, Herremans, Celek on O, and Cole on D) who were on the team 4 years ago.

This team has been completely overhauled over the last 3 yuears. It is now the 2nd youngest team in the league.

I know Lurie said there will be massive changes if 8-8, but I’m not sure about that.

There will be a change at the QB position, but not sure about Reid.

Ever since the NFL started putting the SB champs on the stupid opening Thursday game (2004), the defending champs have gone undefeated (8-0). I see no reason why this trend won’t continue.

To ass to that, the same team then gets a mini-bye week t prepare for the following week. No suprise that the same teams are 5-3 in week 2.

Seeing the Giants will have 11 days to get ready to host the Bucs in week 2, I don’t think its ridiculous to think the G-men will start 2-0.

These 2 “free” wins for the Giants are somewhat mitigated by the fact that the Eagles get to host a Thursday game this year, so they get one freebie of their own.

1 – The Eagles are still Rebuilding.
I don’t know if its the love for Vick, or listening to the media hype about this being a SB team, but it isn’t. Its a team ithat is still going through a re-building process begun when braintrust decided McNabb and the rest of the SB running crew (West,Dawk, etc) were old. This takes a few years and it isn’t finished yet. This rebuilding process will continue through next year with the addition of a new LT and the implementation of Foles at QB. The process is very similar to the one Reid went through 1999-2001. In fact, the ability to do it and maintain a relaticely competitive team is a teswtament to Reid. (who I still don’t like as a game day coach, but as a team builder….$$)The Eagles’ are building to run through 2013 – 2020. The Eagles have the 2nd youngest team in the NFL this season (second only to the Rams). This does not bode well for this year’s playoff success.

2 – Evidentce of the team’s inexperience comes through when we look at the Eagles’ against good teams last year. In 2011 Eagles were 6-4 against Miami, NYJ, Buffalo, Wsh, Dallas, STL, Sea and Arizona. Not exactly a murderers row. And 3 of those losses came in the “tougher” matchups in that group (at Dallas, at Buffalo, at Seattle). Against Good teams, the Eagles’ were a paltry 1-5. (against Atl, SF, Chic, NE, with the annual split against NYG).
This does not bode well, at all, for a team that has to play Baltimore, Det, Atl, and then on the road vs Pitt and New Orleans, to go with always difficult NFC east matchups vs NYG and even Dallas.
II do not think this very young squad is quite ready for that.

3 – Vick. ‘Nuff said.

9-7, but improving as a team. Foles with 6 starts this year (2 through injury, then taking over week 11 or 12)

They need to simplify the offense. We know teams are blitzing him coming from the left side. Why not a slant route from Maclin, and send either Mccoy or celek into the flat until they stop blitzing him from that side. Make the other team pay for showing their hand. Other teams seem to always do it to the Eagles.

Look I want Maclin to be better…But instead of basing my opinion solely on whether he catches 90 passes in this current offense, Im looking to see him improve his game in other ways. Like being a clutch player and catching a ball that hits you in the hands at the end of a ATL game on 4th down to keep the game alive. Or not fumbling the football at the end of a half against the giants or like he did last year (was it 49ers game). I want to see the guy play tougher. I want him to be clutch because so far he has proven (this goes for prolly everybody as well) he isis not.

Zoltec, I also agree with Vinnie here. You want to talk BASICS? we looked like the worst team in the league when it came to pure football fundamentals. Couldn’t even tackle for shit. I put that on the coaches and the players. Hopefully Ryans and Kendrick (who i stated right after the draft was my favorite pick, even over Cox) can help that. But please don’t base your argument for the defense being good this year on basics..lets have players who can show they can get off blocks and tackle first.

I could never look at the schedule with Vick as our Qb, and say with a straight face we will win 11-12 games. Its not lunacy at all man. You just cant do that with a QB who is so injury prone and cant even make it through a series in a preseason game. Maybe the football gods will cut us a break this year and let Vick stay healthy all year..but i’ll stick with reality over miracles