The Eagles failed to impress in their game against the Kansas City Chiefs last night. Sure, the Chiefs are awful and that makes it tough to accurately gauge how the different areas of the team performed, but, let’s try anyway.
What I liked…
-Brandon Graham continues to look good. He is starting now and should be. I’ve seen good things from him against the pass and the run.
-This could be a nice draft class for Reid/Roseman/Banner/whoever else has say in such matters. Nate Allen looks like he can play. I can’t say how huge that is. Safety play was downright horrific last year and they needed a smart guy to come in here and be able to play immediately.
-I love Dexter McCluster. I wish I got to watch him every week.
-Different defense with Stewart Bradley in there, huh? By far the Eagles best linebacker.
-Different line with Todd Herremans in there. Like I said, it’s tough to tell how much was the Eagles line improving a bit in the run game and how much of that is attributed to the Chiefs being bad. Glenn Dorsey was the fifth pick in the 2008 draft and hasn’t done anything to impress. Tyson Jackson was the No. 3-overall pick last year. Football Outsiders called his rookie year an “all-around awful” year. They are 2/3 of the Chiefs defensive line, so once again, I will mitigate my enthusiasm. But, with Herremans in there, they were at least able to create a little running room.
-This David Akers kid might have a future?
-I still dig Riley Cooper. He just looks like if he had to play for a significant amount of time, he could handle it.
…and not so much…
-If you weren’t worried about Kevin Kolb, it might be time to start. It looks like he can play, but Andy is going to have to help him. And by that I mean he can’t throw nearly as much as he did with Donovan. Kolb can make a lot of the throws, but I’m not a fan of his decision making, particularly when he’s under pressure. And with the offensive line refusing to block anyone, that’s going to be a huge problem.
-Can I say again how much I can’t stand Jason Peters? It’s one thing to get beat, it’s another when you can’t figure out the snap count. He’s a real anchor to that line alright. As in holding it in place so that it can’t progress.
-Wasn’t a fan of Moises Fokou before and still don’t think much of him. Stupid penalties get old.
-Who is going to return kickoffs for this team? Quintin Demps isn’t bad at it, but he’s probably too poor at safety to make the team. That’s just a guess.
-I’m fine with Don Tollefson as a sportscaster. Play-by-play? Not his thing. He just seems way too excited about every four-yard Eagles completion. He was effusive in his praise of Kolb when he threw a short dump off after the awful interception. It just seemed very forced. Things were constantly overstated. He made Mike Patrick look like Pat Summerall.
-You can’t really make me listen to Charley Casserly for an entire football game, can you? He knows his stuff, but announcers should not have heavy accents (unless it’s a sourthern accent for NASCAR). I couldn’t tell if I was watching a football game or sitting in a Brooklyn pizzeria. It’s not that I have anything against the New York accent, but his is so pronounced that he shouldn’t be doing color for a sports broadcast.
-What happened to Jeremy Maclin’s hands?
-I’m not going to be impressed with the two early “takeaways” when they seemed much more a product of the Chiefs ineptitude. The first was an unforced fumble on the QB/RB exchange.
-DeSean Jackson and Trent Cole hurt? Awesome.
Overall, this was just not an impressive performance by the Eagles against a woeful Chiefs team. That should be a concern. The defense has showed us some improvements, but the offense needs to remove its head from its rear end.
In my opinion, Micah, this is an astute observation: If you weren’t worried about Kevin Kolb, it might be time to start. It looks like he can play, but Andy is going to have to help him. And by that I mean he can’t throw nearly as much as he did with Donovan. Kolb can make a lot of the throws, but I’m not a fan of his decision making, particularly when he’s under pressure. And with the offensive line refusing to block anyone, that’s going to be a huge problem.
I gotta give high marks to our trainers. It generally takes two years to recover from Bradley’s injury, but it looks this guy has come back after only one.
Our offensive line= TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!
We need some serious help. Jason Peters better get over himself and start playing with some situational awareness. Even if he gets the snap count he is only useful on running plays. Todd is ok. Mike McGlynn I won’t kill as he is out of position. Stacy Andrews (CUT HIM) blows hairy moose @@@@. Winston Justice is average.
All this talk about a blocking TE is stupid in my opinion. I would just put in a back up lineman on obvious blocking downs and line him up as a TE and declare him eligable. Of course Maybe the way our line can’t block makes me wonder if it is worth it. I am really doubting our “all everything” line coach as we are sorely underwhelming at that position this year.
Is it too late to call up Runyan and Thomas??? They are likely far superior in their old age to these guys! Kolb has gone backwards and you can tell he is Scared!!! I love the kids potential but he obviously (he will never say it) does not trust his line.
Maclin needs to tuck the ball and hold it there. Quit reaching for an extra yard
I just figured it out Schiller is Don Tollefson!!! it only makes sense
All good observations from Cobb…Yeah, Chiefs stink, so this game not any kind of barometer…Yeah, defense much better with Bradley, also with Allen and Graham in there…If they stay injury free,we might be watching a good thing develop.
Now, offense?…Same ole Andy, won’t rum ball, won’t commit to run…This absolutely necessary in NFL: #1…Keep opposing defense honest…#2…Eats up clock when needed…#3…Has offensive line in an attack mode, as opposed to dropping back on pass protect…#4…Essential in ‘red zone’ where field is compressed…Should be at least 65-35% pass-run ration…But Andy?…Fughettaboutit!…And he was a damn offensive lineman, too…Also, takes pressure off of QB…Current offensive line play pitiful…Stacy Andrews is ‘Mr. Pitiful’…Help needed.
Special teams, yeah, need kick returner who can do something more than get back to 20 yard line…And penalties?…Result of football players with lazy minds.
Sure, Kolb need help, lots this year…Running game would be start…You won’t see a Rothlisberger throwing 55 passes a game.
Riley Cooper good…Kafka have talent…But they third string right now.
If Kolb continues to “get his back dirty,” Andy will be likely forced do something to keep him upright.
Hopefully, he’ll realize that having a “more balanced” attack makes everyone’s job’s easier. I’m not advocating for a 50/50 attack, but 63% passing is too much, especially when you consider that a lot of those runs come at the end of games in which we are ahead.
With a more balanced attack, the linemen not only regain their advantage (because the defensive line can’t just pin their ears back), but they also get a chance to take the fight to the defense. It’s hard to fight when you’re backpedaling/retreating and run blocking is less tiresome, too.
The quarterback is afforded a little extra time to make decisions.
Blitzes are kept to a minimum (so as to not over-run the play).
The defense gets time to rest, which is necessary since we’re smaller than most.
vricchini says:
August 28, 2010 at 2:58 pmI just figured it out Schiller is Don Tollefson!!! it only makes sense
Don is a nice guy. he doesn’t insult everyone who disagrees with his outlook.
Herreman is clearly the rock of this O line..Totally different running the ball with him in there..Only thing is..the right side of the line is weak..Peters?..Just a dumb guy..I mean what else can you say, right? He’s good for that, smack your forehead, offsides penalty at least twice a game..if he’s really confused, three..Now here’s the thing, Mike Bell runs North and South, that’s his strength..Eldra Buckley runs like his hair’s on fire, I mean really tough runner..McCoy has clearly put on 15 lbs of pure muscle and is making his decision early and getting it done..You got a young QB behind a O line whose strength is RUN BLOCKING!! Three capable RB’s…YO REID!!! WAKE UP AND RUN THE BALL!! If he doesn’t figure this out by week 3 were totally f***ed.
Hey i said be4 n guys calld me crazy but bwest at 50 is better than mike bell n wit this shiity o line coulda trusted him to pick up pass rushers god forbid shady cant play ev down
Very sloppy game, but I have a new concern I didn’t have before. Brent Celek was absolutely horrible in his blocking assignments. I hope this was just a bad game because that would give them zero TE that can block. The idea 2 TE sets is crazy because there is no real running danger if Celek and Harbor are both bad blockers. On short yardage it’s time to use Peters as a TE and hope he doesn’t get a penalty being even farther from the QB(I’m half serious).
As bad as it was to watch the Eagles game, Dallas played far worse. They sat Columbo and got killed by the Texans defense. It was a joy to watch. Think we are thin, Dallas is in far worse shape depth wise. It has solidified my thoughts on the NFC. Green Bay is going to score like crazy and New Orleans and may not be far behind. The East may only be better than the West as the divisions go. The Eagles have to win the division or not make the playoffs. The good thing for the Eagles is that the defense may continue to get very good, will the offense do it’s part? I still think Kolb playing is the right thing because next year is when everything should gel. This year would just be a bonus with Kolb or McNabb, they weren’t very good last year despite the record.
jphal….so next year is when everything should gel huh? You are out of your mind buddy.Everything should Gel this year and fans should not have to wait a year for glaring holes to be replaced when there’s free agency and a draft. McNabb was under contract and if he’s here at this point with an improved defense we’re talking about how far the Eagles go into the playoffs not “everything will gel next year”. What did Andy and the “FO” do this off season that transferS into anyone believing it improves next year? You need Veteran Leadership to mold this team and Mcnabb & Westbrook ..believe it or not kept the young receivers level headed and focused one game at a time. WAKE UP!…….THE WINDOW IS SHUT WITH THIS REGIME!
Many teams in the NFC are struggling so far this Preseason
Look at the Cowboys,Redksins,Bears,Cardinals,Panthers,Vikings and Eagles are all in the same boat..
Shaky O/Line play, Shaky QB play and a lack of TD/s in the Red-Zone..
The teams that look pretty good so far in the Pre-season are the Packers,Saints,49ers,Falcons,Giants
and even the Lions are putting up points so far…so the first 2-3 weeks for every team is critical to get off off to a good start and couple of W’s while the better teams struggle a bit…
The Eagles/Packers 1st Game may go a long way whether the Eagles have a succesful 2010 Season and they need to come out with a victory somehow,someway…
Other good 1st Week Match Ups that effect the Eagles adn the NFC are
#1) Vikings vs Saints
#2) Cowboys vs Redskins
#3) Giants vs Panthers
#4) Falcons vs Steelers
#5) Lions vs Bears (The Lions have a great chance to be 1-0 and then have their home opener vs the
Eagles in Game 2 which could lead them to their first 2-0 start in over 20 years..don’t sleep on this team for they are much improved offensively and will put points up versus anyone this season)
#6) 49ers vs the Seahawks
Paul, we can give a rats ass about how many NFC teams that are doing bad when our team is included.
That’s not a consulation or makes anyone feel good about this organization who have consistantly done everything in their power to destroy a consistent playoff contending team.
The Eagles are now an after thought when mentioning Elite teams….Can someone here please tell us how the Eagles lost their elite status? anyone?
Songs – we lost our elite status when we lost Bradley, Gaither (only due to him being the 2nd best MLB), and JACKSON – and subsequently taking an early exit from the playoffs. That was last year.
I am not so sure the Eagles ever were considered an Elite Team… maybe that 2004 squad was close,
or maybe it’s just around the Delaware Valley where many fans and the local media expectations are typically exaggerated where they think their players and their teams are better than they usually are…
You want a typical bonehead repsonse, check Songs retort above, “we can give a rats ass about how other NFC teams are doing” …as if the only team in the NFL is the Eagles, Why wouldn’t you want to know how there competition is doing,whose hurt, whose playing well,what the other teams are doing, etc,etc, Songs is the perfect excuse on why many Philadelphia Fans get a bad “rap”
I call it ignorance and watching your teams thru “Philadelphia-Colored Glasses”…..
One thing that scares me is that I don’t trust Jeremy Maclin one bit. He has all the talent in the world but he seems to be a little scared when hes out there. I feel that the eagles thought of him to be a donald driver type receiver. A guy who doesn’t care to get hit and is a beast when it comes to YAC. I feel that he doesn’t like to take a hit and when he does get hit he goes into a shell. Avant is that Driver type receiver, he doesn’t care about hits. I understand Maclin is young but they really need to toughen him up. He needs to be more like mighty mouse, aka d-jack. D-jack is stupidly unafraid, people should tell him that he and steve smith maybe in the same height category but steve smith has some bulk to him.
Songs has some points that are right. First off, its preseason. It doesn’t mean anything. Second and for the millionth time is mcnabb is gone boo hoo, oh thats a shame. Get over it . Mcnabb is a moot point. And last time i checked he is also hurt and 34 so…. he is not the guy from 2002-2004.
Where i do agree is that to say this team is going to gel next season is ridiculous. On Some point thats right but you gave away mcnabb for in my eyes not that much. (the reason i say that is because they traded 1 of those 2nds for i think a pizza). You didn’t address the o-line this draft at all, basically saying we are all good at the line. Obviously thats not the case, even with jackson coming back who says he comes back in game shape. You said ah we don’t need another RB cuz shady mccoy is invincible, when you could have probably got toby gerhart by trading up 5 spots.
OR we could have drafted vladimir duccasse One of the top rated guards. How about corners, they look good now but our depth is ________ *fill in the blank*. To not go 500 or better is a complete an utter failure and a disgrace to the birds nation. Scheduling is not an excuse. You get rid of the best franchise qb we ever had and you don’t address key positions that gave us problems last year and you expect the same or better results.
On a seperate note. I am a kolb supporter but if he plays like what we saw on friday the rest of the season maybe we should look heavily at some of the qbs comming out in the 2011 class because as i understand it, its gonna be big.
loki0…..now we’re talking truth
Loki – good points but the eagles did adress running back a bunch. Free agent vets, one a sb champ, the other was just in the sb. A draft pick, and mallet. Can’t say they didn’t get another rb… amd as far as the mcnabb compensation goes, nate allen by all acounts looks like the solution at free safety, and we still have another pick for him, which depends on his stats – if mcbabb plays nearly as well as everyone says he will in DC, will be another 2. Combined, the nate allen pick with the other (what the eagles got for mcnabb) equals a first round pick (according to the nfl draft value board) – per adam caplan. So dude, if your local pizza place sells first round picks, quality free safties and more, hook us up with the phone #!
TO Schill,
I believe if McNabb gets on the high side of his Stats and the Redskins make the Playoffs (which appears to be a reach) the payback would be a 3rd Rd Selection from the Redskins which if they made the playoffs would be around the 85th-90th pick ovreall or so, if the Redksins fail to make the playoffs, and McNabb doesn’t reach those big #’s then it becomes their 4th Rouund Selection which would be about the #115-#120 pick overall if I rececall correctly…
Either way, it was a good deal for all partied involved I believe but they should have looked to trade him after the combines in Febuary when his stock was high and the word on the street was that most knew the QB Class of the 2010 Draft Class was pretty weak, the Eagles FO waiting too long and late to have more teams jump into the fray to acquire McNabb but going into his last year of his contract with no CBA in place definitely hurt his and the Eagles chances of getting maximum return
All in all, a return of picks in the 2nd & 4th Round was about the best they were going to get since most other teams that needed a QB had already addressed them in Feb/March
You are right and I was wrong about the conditional pick being a 4 or 3. Still the 3 plus Nate Allen equals a #1 on the NFL draft value board. Mcnabbs benchmarks to meet for the pick to be a 3 are lower than what he accomplished this past season. Quite lower. And if mcnanb has a bad year, that’s good for the eagles anyway – division rival suffers and the trade looks like the right move.
I also don’t think the skins making the playoffs is part of the conditions.
who cares if they address problems with bums schill
i told u forever ago that b west at 50 is better than mike bell eldra buckley and mallett rolled in 1
u keep with this sb bs sb rb please lol mark brunnell won sb last yr so tf what he a sb qb i guess
Philly, but you’re 100% incorrect about BWest – you’re point that Mike Bell may not be that good for us may be valid, but actually BWest now, let alone at 50, is extremely gimpy. He is slower and much less likely to be able to play a complete game of football than anyone on our roster right now. You’d have a good point if yours had any truth to it. Bwest is DONE DONE DONE DONE DONE.
And he was the 3rd best RB on the Eagles last year. Fact.