I’m sitting in the Eagles Nova Care complex waiting for Andy Reid to show up and all I can think about it how important this game is to the Birds. Despite having won quite a few big games this year, they can’t afford to lose this football game.
It’s going to be a tough one. Think about how close the Birds came to losing that first Giants game. Osi Umenyiora was a split-second away from knocking down that pitch from Michael Vick to LeSean McCoy.
The thing the Eagles have that should make them very confident is an abundance of big-play weapons. They can strike from anywhere on the field, which will mean they’re always in the game and always in position to score.
I’d like to discuss some of the key issues with you guys this afternoon. First I will be in this Andy Reid news conference and then I will go in the locker room to talk to the players.
At the same time I’d like to talk to you guys about whether you think Michael Vick can survive another week. Vick has been getting pounded as you see with this picture of Anthony Spencer clobbering Vick.
How to do you compare LeSean McCoy and Brian Westbrook? Could the Birds put the ball on the ground if they had to and grind out a victory? Can they run the ball on the Giants?
Can they win with this defense, which seems to consistently allow teams to score in the high twenties? How much will they improve if Asante Samuel returns to action?
DeSean Jackson will miss today’s practice because of a foot sprain. Reid says he’s day-to-day right now. I think Jackson should have been given more credit for gutting it out during the fourth quarter of the Cowboys game. He got hurt before that 91-yard explosion and outran the Cowboys to the end zone despite not being 100%.
Asante Samuel went through the walk through and Reid says he’ll have to wait and see how he does this afternoon at practice.
Andy Reid just started and said DeSean Jackson won’t practice today because he has a foot sprain. I don’t think Jackson got enough credit for gutting it out at the end of that game because he was hurt.
Reid says DeSean Jackson’s injury will be day-to-day. He mentioned that Asante Samuel went through the walk through this morning, but he hopes he will play but doesn’t know for sure.
Will Justice be back?
I think D-Jax and Samuel will both probably be out this week…
Samuel’s knee injury is worse than originally thought and it appears it’s been a slow recovery..
I think Justice will be back and play
Whose taking the snaps at MLB for Bradley, G-Man ????
Is it Cheney or is Gaither getting some reps too or mayve slide Fokou inside and have Jordan play OLB… whats the scoop…
Question G,
How does C Ingram look during the practices? It would be a dream to see him as a red zone target again. Does he look anything like his old self on scout team? He’s a great guy and someone I hope can find some success in the next year.
Reid just said Jamar Chaney will be the starter at middle linebacker. Omar Gaither will back him up.
The talk after the 1st Giants game was how the Giants showed the league the “blueprint” for defending the Eagles offense.
If that is the case, are you confident that Andy & Marty can develope a gameplan to be successful against this scheme? Can they protect Vick against the pressure that this D-line brings?
I think this defense will greatly improve with Asante coming back (fingers crossed)…… It will be a real test that the run defense dont allow Jacobs and Bradshaw to run for 200yrds. and control the clock which i beleive they will try……. They didnt look too impressive against the Vikings early in the first half (offensively speaking)….. DIXON DIXON DIXON…….. is the guy who I think will be key to play an important role on help stopping the run!!!!!……. Coughlin is going to keep the ball/game out of Eli’s hands…. He’s a turnover nightmare for the NYG….. This season……
Jackson’s foot got sore on Monday and has some swelling. Of course Reid could and didn’t say whether he would be able to play on Sunday or not.
We need Turnover’s……… THe giants are and maybe the worse teams in that department alone……. If they allow that which I hope….. Theres no way the Giants will win this game with this offense rolling the way they are!!!! Get 3 and outs often and control/protect the ball……. WE SHALL OVER COMMMMMMEEEEE! LOL
That may mean Riley Cooper’s name may be called apon……. I have faith in the young guy…… Not to compare NFL to NCAA……. But I beleive the birds picked this guy up because he performs in key times when he was in Florida……… A big physical guy who can out match a slot CB….. And was Vick’s favorite target when vick was on the 2nd squad early this season……. If D-Jax’s a no go…… AR has to balance this offense out……
G
How would you rate Graham’s season prior to his injury? Is there a particular area in which he needs to improve or one in which he shined?
We all know that Sheli will put the ball up for grabs. 3 picks would be nice.
G
One more question. Do you have weekly time slot on WIP? I seem to always catch the end of your show.
G
One last thing. Can you get Paul a press pass? I think there’s a problem with his TV. LOL!!
It looks to me Chaney got bigger…….. Which I like……. Besides gaither is toast as an Eagle……
And Drummer…. I’ll give Graham a C-….. WHich is decent……. But give the guy a year or two more and he’ll be our future LE…….. But the thing he needs to work with is his angles on pursuing on the pass rush……. We do know he has a great motor (IN COLLEGE)…….. I just think he gets fatigue a little…… You see him breathing heavy a bit……
G
Any word on the Defensive alignments/strategies vs the Giants
Since they are so thin at WR and ELi’s troubles with throwing INT, don’t you think they will attempt to run the ball 40-50 times between Bradhsaw & Jacobs who both rushed for over a 100 yards the other night versus a given up Vikings Squad, but still, they averaged 6.5 Yards a pop..
Don’t you think a 5-2-4 alignment with 5 D/Lineman right over the 5 OL and position the 2 OLB behind the DE’s and bring Safety Mickell down in the box as a quasi MLB, drop Nate Allen back to play Centerfield and have the CB’s play 1 on 1 versus Giant WR’s with Nicks who is not a full speed and with both Smith & Manningham out, the Giants will be down to WR Hagen ,D Thomas as their #2 WR..
I think DT Dixon right over their Center would spend half the afternoon inthe backfield negating their running game befire it get’s startted and when the Giants attempt to trap,double team or pull the off-sdie Guard or Tackle, the left open Defense should also get in the backfield to raise havoc…
I think this alignment would be great to start the game with and for the Eagles to establish control the lIne of Scrimmage for the get go for there is no doubt that the Giants are going to run,run,run and then run some more and not put the game in Eli’s hands unless they are forced too or way behind..
Stop this running game of the Giants and the Eagles win going away.. .
They really have to get that running game going early to take some pressure off of Vick. G. I don’t understand why they don’t run the ball. It’s like its voodoo. Shady gets 4-5 yards a carry. I like when they run it out of the shotgun formation because it puts Vick in as a threat but they have to make it honest and run shady. Do you agree?
I just finished talking to Eagles players in the locker room and they stressed making sure to not let Jacobs get going. They believe if they stop him early then he’ll be much easier to stop later on.
There’s a chance that Derrick Burgess will play on Sunday, but he might not play much.
Do you think he’s in shape or he can be effective being out of Football since the start of the season?
Is Justice ging to play?
Pressure right up the interio with Dixopn,Patterson,Buinkley in my 5-2-4 Alignment and force Jacobs to run laterally and then tackle him him low (which he really hates) and then he gets down on himself and frustrated and then isn’t as effective, Bradshaw is a different animal,small, hard to see, a compact low to the ground build with a strong lower body who is hard to get down with initial contact. Here the DE’s and LB’s have to be disciplined and keep their lane assignments, for Bradshaws biggest runs and plays are his cutbacks runs.. getting him moving in 1 direction and he’s an average back with average speed, get him cutting back,stopping,starting and using his great vision, then he’s one of the NFL top RB’s who can accelerate quickly out of a cut from almost a stand still like few backs can ..
G- What is your opinion of Chaney vs. Gaither?
Good question, Green.
Cheney is quicker and more physical but lacks experience and needs to keep his feet under him
and utilize his hands better to shed blockers (he got blocked off his feet on a few occasions in last weeks game vs the Cowboys, has the athleticism to be able to drop back in pass coverages but needs time and experience to work on taking the proper angles,cutting off receivers, keeping an eye back onthe Qb to see the ball and of course cover the Receiver you are assigned to
Gaither is not as quick, not as physical but knows this Defense a lot better due to his experience,
Gaither is also not very effective dropping back in pass coverage either
Whats the plan to stop TE K Boss who has been EWli’s trusty target the last few weeks and has really had some big catches for the Giants over the last month and especially on 3rd Down and in the Red Zone..
Wow, Paul
You got all that from Sunday night, or is that from a scouting report?
Were you able to see that he needs to keep his feet under him and utilize his hands?
I’m actually watching the game now. I’ll keep an eye out for him getting blocked off his feet.
Should be Mid to late 3rd Quarter when Cheney was knocked off his heels versus the Cowboys,
1st Time was a running play and the 2nd was on a screen play if my memory serves me well
As far as a scouting report on Gaither, I think we have all seen him play enough over the last couple seasons to know what his weaknesses are…
Well Cheney didnt play a whole game and led the team with 7 tackles……. I’m not saying I’m impressed but he did put a good effort playing!! And deserving the starting nod over Gaither!!!!
Paul
You were talking about Cheney, not Gaither.
paulman says:
December 15, 2010 at 1:13 pm
Cheney is quicker and more physical but lacks experience and needs to keep his feet under him
and utilize his hands better to shed blockers (he got blocked off his feet on a few occasions in last weeks game vs the Cowboys, has the athleticism to be able to drop back in pass coverages but needs time and experience to work on taking the proper angles,cutting off receivers, keeping an eye back onthe Qb to see the ball and of course cover the Receiver you are assigned to
@Drummer………. LMAO!! YOU hate paulman dont you!!!!!! I love it hahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!!
drummer….why did you not copy and paste the rest of the comments that Pman made about Gaither?
I believe that it made his response to your question on point. He was making a comparison between the two players.
Green
Perhaps you missed my questions:
You got all that from Sunday night, or is that from a scouting report?
Were you able to see that” he needs to keep his feet under him and utilize his hands”?
Paul said that “Chaney” needs to keep his feet. It’s really not difficult to understand. If you require help, let me know.
Green
Why are you answering for Paul?
Jroc
Absolutely not. I don’t hate Paul. Actually I was impressed that he gleaned so much info. At the same token, I’ve learned to check things out on my own. Sometimes I misinterpret what someone is saying or trying to say. And sometimes we post something wrong unintentionally.
I do find it puzzling that some others feel the need to defend Paul.
@ drummer. I only answer for myself.
I was asking why you omitted the rest of his comment when you responded to his answer to your question, and asked why he included Gaither. If you read his original post, he included comments on Gaither’s play as a comparison.
I was pointing out your obvious attempt to put your own spin on Pman’s original post by picking and choosing what you pulled from his comment.
I am not sitting at home right now re-watching the game. I have to rely on my memory of the game, and had the same question that you had for Pman, where do you draw your analysis from? Chaney has only had a breif appeance for the birds, and that was a pretty definate opinion of the guy.
Frankly, I would be more interested in hearing G’s opinion of the guy, instead of us talking about them.
@Drummer…. I thought it was funny the fact you re-typed word for word what the man posted LMAO…. Thats all…… I’ve never defended for paulman OR vinnie…….. if that were to happen Sarah Palin will have to win the 2012 election……. Which will never happen LOL!!!
I like Cheney…….. Only time will tell how players will perform during game time……. Weather being a factor could play a role….. How guys are going to respond… We’ll see game time!!!!
drummer I am not getting into anything with you today. If you were offended, don’t be, it wasn’t my intention. Copy and paste, comment and question what ever you want. I will not question anything anymore.
I based my comments on what I have seen from both players from camp time,drills, preseason games
to real games and in Gaithers case, what he has done over the last few years while with the Eagels.
I am sure you recall that I am not a big Gaither fan and really didn’t expect him to make the final 53ft Roster, but he did based on his experience and I hope he plays well whenever he hits the field
As far as Cheney, he’s a young guy just getting his feet wet with the 1st unit and the one of the biggest thing I notice with rookies players is that the speed of game catches them off guard for it’s a lot quicker thatn the practice fields,drills, or during Pre-season, I also notice many young players not having their heads up enough to see what’s coming and or dropping their heads too soon when moving in for a tackle and then missing the target all together or getting off-balanced and not havving their shoulders squared up and legs under them to drive thru a tackle (Nate Allen is a perfect example of this)
As far as Cheney learning to use his hands better, talk or read about most NFL Defensive players and especially DL & LB’s, the use of there hands is crtitical when trying to establish leverage,shed blocks,
and obviosuly tackling a Runner/Receiver, typically when you see defenders having a hard time getting off blocks, it’;s usually because they allowed the blcoker to get too close to them and therefore use their girth and strngth tomove them around, notice all your top tacklets and active defenders, they create space for themselves by using their hands to shield themselves and create some distance between the Blcoker and the space where they will meet the running, and then the really ggod ones can utilize their feet and speed to beat a blocker to the spot and fill the hole spot to where the runner is coming to
help make the tackle,slow up a running, turn him back inside, etc,etc,
The Combo of using the hands and feet as tools are critical to any succesful Defender in the NFL
where everyone your are competing against is just as fast and strong..
Green
I’ll try this once more.
Paul said that “Chaney” (not Gaither) “needs to keep his feet under him and utilize his hands.”
I omitted his comments about Gaither because my question concerned ONLY his comments about Chaney (again, not Gaither). Why I include his comment about Gaither, if I had no question about Gaither?
If Paul writes an entire book and I have a question about one sentence, should I include the entire book? That would only serve to confuse the issue. Obviously, it was too confusing, anyway.
If that is an “obvious spin” to you, I don’t know what else to say.
You SAY you answer for yourself only, but this isn’t the first time you’ve answered for Paul.
I was actually impressed that Paul had gotten so much information. I was uncertain as to whether he had gotten it from a draft report or from the game. That’s why I asked.
The part of his post in which he clearly stated he’d gotten from the game, I told him I’d keep an eye for those plays.
Paul
That’s all I was asking, whether you arrived at your conclusion that Chaney needs to “keep his feet under him. . .” from the game or from a scouting report.
As I understand your answer, it didn’t come from the game.
drummer you obviously have a problem with me.
i’m not biting today
Green
When you say, “I was pointing out your obvious attempt to put your own spin on Pman’s original post by picking and choosing what you pulled from his comment,” I am offended, because I was no doing such thing. It is wise to make certain that you’re correct before you accuse someone of something.
I was not attempting to “spin” anything. I was seeking clarity.
And thank you for your permission to cut and paste. Your approval means everything to me.
Green
I “obviously” have a problem with some of the things you say, not with you. It’s incredible how many things are so “obvious” to you.
my fingers are in my ears, my eyes are closed and I am screaming ..”I’m not listening to you….I’m not listening to you….
LOL!
u base ur opinion on camp time, drills etc
dam pman how can i watch training camp please enlighten me
did u go this yr?
I don’t even know you, Green. How could I have a problem with you?
Just as I hold myself accountable for what I post, I do the same to others. If I post that Kolb is a terrible QB, I should have facts to support that opinion. If Kolb turns around and throws for 300 yards and plays well for several games, I should be so inclined to change my opinion and admit that I was wrong. That’s why I try to refrain from making such judgments.
When others were killing Kolb, I offered my honest opinion. Initially, I didn’t think he was very good at all, but I recognized that it was too early to tell.
During the off-season when so many people were offering their opinions of Kolb. I kept asking how anyone could tell. Some pointed to the two games he had last season. I responded by saying that the league had not developed a book on him yet.
Some of those same people said Vick would be no good (even after 2-3 very good games). I found it hypocritical to determine that Kolb was good after 2 games (in one of which he threw 3 picks) and Vick to bad after 3 very good games (and I was not a Vick fan – didn’t see him as a good NFL QB, based on his play in Atlanta).
Anyway, when people post something with which I disagree, I offer my argument. I don’t dislike that person. I simply disagree their post. Admittedly, I think Paul is sometimes over the top, and I call him out about it. But I don’t dislike him. In fact, I like him a lot. He’s an Eagles fan with a passion for football — just like me.