There is no denying that thus far the Eagles’ season has not lived up to preseason expectations. To call the team’s 6-8 record a disappointment would be an understatement. The offense has lacked consistency, while the defense has often failed to finish games.
Yet, somehow, the Birds still have a fighting chance to make the playoffs.
A Sunday matinee with the hated Dallas Cowboys will be the next installment of desperation football. Unfortunately for the Birds, the outcome of their season no longer remains in their hands. Nevertheless, the team must win its two remaining games to give itself an opportunity to make the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.
With the league’s third best offense averaging 400-yards and 24 points-per-game, the Eagles must look to exploit weaknesses in the Dallas defense.
The Cowboys’ D have only allowed four backs to exceed 100 yards in a single contest. One of them was LeSean McCoy, who ran for 185-yards and two touchdowns when the teams first met on October 30. Going along with the new trend, McCoy is likely to be the focal point of Rob Ryan’s unit.
Nonetheless, Eagles’ offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg is expecting to make in game adjustments:
“You have to make adjustments throughout the ballgame and our players are very good at that as far as how different teams have played us quite differently”, Mornhinweg said yesterday during his time with the media.
With defensive sets geared to stop the Eagles’ new single season touchdown record holder, it is likely that quarterback Michael Vick will have an opportunity to utilize the play-action-pass and throw-over-the-top of the Cowboys’ secondary. Primed for a big performance, look for DeSean Jackson to be a playmaker. The Long Beach-native has not had a 100-yard game since week 4.
The other key statistic to pay attention to in this meeting between NFC East division rivals is third down conversions. In the team’s first meeting the Bird’s were seven of twelve on the crucial down, while the Boys were just three of ten. Furthermore, Philadelphia had 15 rushing first downs compared to Dallas’s two.
Ultimately, Sunday’s game between the Eagles and Cowboys has the opportunity to be another great one. With both teams fighting for the playoffs, I look forward to seeing both coaches empty their bag of tricks to put a ‘W’ next to their team’s name.
I disagree and think the opposite Keith as far as game plan goes for Game 2
WIth the Eagles and McCoy’s success in Game 1, the Cowboys Defense and DC Ryan are not just going to sit back in a Deep Cover 2 all game long like they did is not going to sit back like they did in Game 1..
Vick will have good opportuntities early and oftern and the should take advantage of this right from the get go.. Hit them over the top, then pound the rock with McCoy after they are on their heels.
Wow – two tired cliche paragraphs and then which day the game is being played wrong – nice start – and then the earth shattering ‘watch out for McCoy’
the big 3 in the first half will be Celek, Avant and Maclin – lots of 8-12 yard routes – look for a shot or two deep to keep those safeties back – then the eagles will shift to run mode – predict MCoy will get 17-19 carries for 120 – Celek is going to have a big game – and I think Harbor has his best game of the season –
but this is just me making shit up on a very slow day!
Run the rock until they stop it. Who cares if they know its coming.Dallas’s front is suspect…..destroy them.
Eagles have had great success with the zone blocking and the TE going in motion and lead blocking the OLB/DE against Dallas – I could watch 25 of those
That is a great play dude. They get on-top of the d-line like no other unit around the league. Peters should be first team. Shady runs that perfect…gears down until he sees the hole and ….BOOM…Merril voice…45 40…35 30 …25 20…15 10…TOUCHDOWN..SHADY MCCOY..HE IS MAGNIFICANT!!!
Amped ….
How about somt predeictions on the Giants/Jets game..
Should be a close one right down to the wire.. iwould think Eli has the edge over Sanchez and don’t see either Team running the ball that effectively..
Jets Safeties Stink and the entire Giants Secondary is in disarry but I think Eli is the better QB and can take advantage of mis-matches more so that Sanchez.. Giants 24 – Jets 20
New York is going to lose.
Both teams play in New Jersey – and NY is going to win!
Nah – Jets 27-20. Jets need this game to get to playoffs – and will play much better then last week. Why – cause that’s what we need to happen to stay alive another week
Giants 30
Jets 13
Sanchez gets sack 5 times and Cruz have a record day in the slot.
This is the 1st time I recall Schiller going out on a limb and predicting a future event… Watch it end up in a Tie game…. ha ha
Thank you Songs – now I know the Jets will blow the Giants out – Cruz will leave early with a ‘minor’ injury (something benign like a mild hammie strain) Manning will piss all over himself and throw 4 picks and the Eagles will live another week – I was nervous until I saw your predicition
Vinnie
Report: John Skelton will start over Kolb Saturday
Even Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt can no longer deny something strange is happening this season in Arizona, and it’s happening when John Skelton is at quarterback.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Skelton is expected to start over Kevin Kolb on Saturday in Cincinnati. Kolb was able to practice the last two days after suffering a concussion last week, and seemed ready to go. But Skelton has won five of six games in which he’s taken the majority of snaps.
It’s a quietly remarkable moment in a quietly remarkable Cardinals season. Arizona gave Kolb $21 million guaranteed in the offseason. Skelton was at Fordham this time two years ago. And now he’s getting the call over Kolb in a Week 16 game with playoff implications.
Six of Arizona’s seven wins have been fourth quarter comebacks. They need a ton of help to get to the playoffs, but we’re not ruling anything out after this wacky run.
Feel bad for Kolb, class act……but it makes me chuckle when I read this because it just shows how wrong those idiots Vinnie and Jakedog were.
I like Kolb as a persone, but he has failed for 2 years in the row to seize the great oppourtunity given him and one in which very few people ever get…
The Be the “guy” for a NFL Franchise… Last year the Eagles and now this Year with the Cardinals..There are probably a lot of reasons,excuses,injuries, bad-luck or whatever you want to call it, bottom line, Kolb has failed to make the most of his opportunities for 2 Seasons in a row and there is a very good possibilty that he will not get this opportunity again to lead a Franchise and be that #1 QB.. Maybe he’s too nice of a guy and needs to be more emotional and fired up.. but in the end, he will be a good Back-up/Spot Starter and that’s about it .. and I would not be so surprised to see the Cardinals to flat out Release him after the Season to avoid his huge Contract Bonus that kicks in on March 1st .. I also would not be surprised to see Kolb land back with the Eagles as a back-up for 2012 behind #1 QB Vick..
Settle down boys. How, exactly, was I wrong? I said, and will continue to say that the Birds would be better off with Kolb here over Vick. I’m not backing off that, because we’re going absolutely nowhere with Vick at the helm.
As for the “Skelton is better” arguement….its a pretty big reach.
Which would you rather?
106 of 191 55.5% 8 tds 10 ints
145 of 253 57.7% 9 tds 8 ints
Granted neither guy has had a good year, but to say one has “outplayed” the other is a bit misleading. Besides, its Arizona.
Skelton has faced: Stl(W), Reeling Eagles(W), SF(L), Stl again(W), SF(W – the week after they clinched the playoffs and were still hungover) Cleveland(W). Skelton’s wins come from teams that are 23-45. A whopping .338 So don’t be suprised when Skelton heads out and is fed his lunch this week by CInci.
Kolb Faced: Car, Wsh, Sea, NYG, Minn, Pitt, Balt and Dallas. Combined: 54-58 or .482. Losses @Wsh, @Seattle, NYG, @Minn, Pitt and @Balt. Hmmm….I’d like to know what Vick would have done against that?
I think the bigger point Vinnie is that the Cardinal Team and Coaching Staff has rallied around Skelton who has shown more Leadership abilities than Kolb and that’s the bottom line, you play who you feel gives you the best chance to win and that’s what the Cardinals are doing right now.. not what we think back here in the Philadelphia… Admit it Vinnie, Kolb has not proven to be a Starting Caliber #1 QB in the NFL..and I am not saying Skelton is the next coming of Joe Montana, but obviously the Cardinal Team and Coaching staff feel Skeleton gives them the best chance to win of he wouldn’t be playing.. Cards ar 7-7 and have been playing pretty good ball the 2nd half of the Season and their Coaches are under the hot seat too (as all Coaches are) and he is trying to win as many games in 2011 as he can to save his job and build a winner for future seasons and right now, this means Skelton is the Starter over Kolb (injuries or not)…
Could anyone see everything for the Eagles falling in place this week and then them losing to the Redskins next week…I had a bad dream about this.
What I want to happen: Jets 35 over Giants 10….Eagles 100 over Cowboys -2.
If I had to bet a million on it tho…what I think will actually happen is:
Giants 28 over Jets 24
Cowboys 31 over Eagles 27…I think not having Assante in this game is going to hurt us. I think Romo picks this defense apart esp when it comes to the linebackers in coverage. Basically, I see a similar game to what has happened this year in which opposing team jumps on us early because we kill ourselves with turnovers, bad calls, bad timeouts…Vick has a chance to win it in the end but doesn’t get it done again.
I really hope im wrong…Even if were eliminated before this game, the Eagles as a whole owe it to us to go out and take all their anger on this freakin team a can’t stand and just flat out destroy them. If not for us, they should atleast do it for themselves since they put out so much terrible, heartless football this year and should have something to prove either way regardless of what the Jets/Giants do…and plus its the Cowboys.
J-E-T-S…JETS JETS JETS
paulman before the last concussion in the beginning of the 49ers game a Kolb led cardinals team beat the cowboys, Kolb was solid in that game and definitely poised, leadership abilities apparent, the jury is still out on Kolb, it may be that with the concussions we will never know, but he is one wealthy man thanks to Andy who loved him and wanted him to be the quarterback here
I am calling on all of the so called “haters”, bs word, but the reverend songs, Mr. Bsmvideos,and other lurkers out there to usher in a very merry Christmas by the eagles crushing the most hated cowboys, Romo, jerry jones, there is officially a moratorium on “hating” until such time the eagles are eliminated from the playoffs
Who cares about whether Skelton or Kolb are better…the only reason their winning is because of their Defense (which is coached by a guy that could of came here) and Fitz just making some ridiculous plays on terrible thrown balls by both QBs…
But yea again screw them…it was looking like we were going to basically have another kind of late 1st rounder with their pick (something like 35-37) but now since they won a couple of games who knows where the pick will be
Forgot to mention Patrick Peterson who might be the best returner in the game today…imagine if those Peterson for Kolb rumors were true
Those ridiculous rumors for Peterson were from the Eagle Wishful Thinkers… Just like some stated Kolb to 49ers for All-Pro MLB Patrick Willis,, Ridiculous to even think about it let alone discuss.. Peterson was probably the top Athlete in the entire Draft last Season and has a huge upside and there was zero chance the Cardinals would trade him for Kolb… Zero.. .
Well said Paulman. I mean, the sixers could try to pacakge craig brakins and a ball boy for Kevin Durant, but…….
Kolb is ass and was always ass like a said when we picked the bum. But, I’ll tell you this….They’ll get more out of Kolb than we’ll get from bum ass Rogers-Cromartie.
One important stat that jumped out to me when they were talking trade was that teams completed 68% of their first downs on 3rd down throwing to the man DRC was playing.
He was being targeted by opposing QB’s as a weak link in the secondary when a team needed a first down.
The Eagles would have been better off getting two 2nd rounders instead of DRC for bum ass Kolb, but on second thought with this scouting team and draft overseers in the Eagles organization we’d probably waste those picks on some bums ass players anyway.
reverend songs, moratorium, whoop ass on the cowboys
Saturday the carriage turn into a pumpkin. we can put down the horse called a season with one bullet. I need the Giants to stomp the Jets so the offseason can be put into it’s proper perspective. A few wins and a playoff birth would be like spraying perfume on a pig. It’s time for a change