I thought the Eagles were headed toward getting a break and not having to face Plaxico Burress this week but that’s not going to happen. The 6’5” playmaker says he’s going to play this Sunday night.
That means the Eagles red zone defense had better be ready to defend fade routes to Burress. It seems like he’s got the arm span of a seven footer the way he makes it look so easy to get the ball at its highest point.
Another weapon on the goalline for the Birds, is Jeremy Shockey. The tight end is big, strong and athletic, so they’ll try to utilize him in various ways, such as lining him up in the backfield as well as putting him outside in a wide receiver position. He used to see the ball in the red zone more, before Burress arrived in New York.
Veteran wide receiver Armani Toomer isn’t what he used be after recovering from an ACL tear. He doesn’t have the deep speed but Manning has a lot of confidence in Toomer and has no trouble going to him in key situations and whenever he gets in trouble or needs a short to intermediate gain. Toomer has a big body and a pair of reliable hands.
