Eagles tight end Brent Celek has missed most of training camp due to a sprained knee he sustained on the first day he practiced. I think Michael Vick has missed him because the Eagles offense has been unable to establish the consistency you would like to see.
He was out at practice yesterday and he had a very good workout and caught quite a few touchdowns in the red zone work. I think Celek is the most important receiver in the Birds passing attack because Michael Vick can make short, easy to complete throws to him. Every quarterback needs that guy who he can connect with on short throws. Vick has a connection with Jason Avant, but he needs it with Celek because he’s nearly always on the field.
If he and Vick can develop a connection, it will improve Vick as a quarterback and greatly enhance his consistency and completion percentage. Celek will usually be covered by a linebacker and that will give him a tremendous advantage. He’ll be able to use his size and speed to create some separation.
Vick and the Eagles offense can’t just rely on the big play deep to DeSean Jackson or Jeremy Maclin. No quarterback ever completes a high percentage of deep throws. They’ve got to take the short stuff if teams want to play their safeties deep and try to take away the bombs.
He needs to look for Celek every time he misses on a couple of deep throws or he sees the safeties playing deep. If Vick starts taking those short and intermediate throws,, it will force safeties to start cheating up, then Jackson and Maclin can get behind them for the big play.
It’s a must that Vick establish a chemistry with Celek. If I were Andy Reid or Marty Mornhinweg, I would make the establishment of this connection the number one goal of the training camp for the Eagles passing game.
Celek should be Vick’s number target in the red zone. They started to get something going a year ago at the end of the season. Vick should go to Celek so much in the red zone that they force defenses to double-team him. Is Celek uses his size and strength, plus learns how to push off without getting called for it, he will be impossible to cover in the red zone.
I think Celek will be a good Fantasy League sleeper pick. I believe Vick is starting to understand how valuable Celek can be to him in this offense.
I haven’t been impressed with what I have seen out of the Eagles first team ffense at training camp. One day they look good and the next day they struggle. I’m not alone in that assessment because Les Bowen of Philly.com says the same thing in an article.
Hopefully the addition of Celek will help this offense establish more consistency.
2 Questions – 1) have any of the other TEs been able to step up and provide a viable 2 TE attack (how is Harbor doing?)
2) Is it not fairly typical that the offense has ups and downs at this point in the pre-season – isn’t preseason game 3 where you expect your O to be ‘season’ ready?
Sup Navy…
I’ve heard that the Eagles do plan on using the two TE set much more often…Been watching a lot of training camp videos on Eagles.com….there were a few mentions to it…Harbor isn’t looking to bad to me. Plus I’m hearing good things about his work ethic…supposedly every chance he gets he’s working QB’s on sideline or even ball boys on his hands. As well as taking it a step farther and staying after practice to catch some balls.
A big thing to be concerned about is the play of the LT Position,
If Bell,DUnlap or whoever struggles, then expect the TE (Celek and or Harbor) to have to stay in more snaps to help pass protect like Celek did back in 2010 which was his lowest output catchign wise..
I sdon’t agree abou tCelek being the #1 Goal/target in the Red-Zone for that’s what every other Team game plans for.. Eagles need Harbor, McNutt/ Cooper and some of their RB’s that will better match-ups.. Celek will be covered by oppsing teams bect Cover LB and probably a Safety over the Top once in the Red-Zone and since there is less field to cover, Safeties do not have to worry about the speed of D-Jax/Maclin since they would not be running deep routes once inside the Red-Zone which is one of the problems the Eagles will always face with the smaller wideouts that they have being out there.. If I am coachm, D-Jax is not even on the field once I am inside the 25 YArd line for his basically becomes useless on the field and demans no special attention fronm opposing Defenses..
to be honest all that talk ick was saying about studying and all looks like he lied to me. i dont care i saw a bunch of preseason games and he isnt a rookie.. the third play a timeout really. only one QB looked as bad as Vick did and that was Kold.. thats messed up. and i was a fan of casstillio but now i see the same things that made us the laughing nstock of football. The last 4 games seemed to really look like fools gold now. i will just cheer for the eagles win or loose becasue i love footabll but i am no longer on the superbowl or even playoff bandwagon. Vick has been inthe leauge to long to be calling time outs like a rookie. PLEASE put in Foles and lets take our bumps and brusies becasue Andy and Vick just cant gert it done. lets be real here fellas. its a sad day..
National pundits picking birds to win the super bowl, but scramz has mailed in the season as a loser after two offensive series by first team, lmao, gotta love being a Philly sports fan, because in truth scramz is more on the mark than the pundits
McNabb had it with Chad Lewis
I still say that is why the lost the SB
Lewis getting injured on the last TD against the Falcons
Scram made the point about Vick calling a timeout on the first 3rd down of the game. That is the play that worries me far more than anything else that happened. I don’t care if they didn’t move the ball that much, but if Vick isn’t sure what to do in the first preseason game, oh sh*#. I feel it’s hard to expect a guy to learn the quarterback position against today’s exotic defenses at 28 when he has always relied on his feet to get by. I don’t blame or hate Vick, I actually like him much more than McNabb, but it’s probably to much to learn at this stage of his career. I hope he can do it because the team goes as he goes.
28?
try 32
This will probably be VIcks Final Season in Philly.. Another mediocre 8-9 Win Season is not going to cut it for Vick, COach AR and probably the entire Staff..
Some potential names out there that I see as leading Candidats for the Eagles New HC for 2013
#1) O/Coordinator Rob Chudzinksi of the Panthers.. (took an offense who was worst in the NFL in 2010 and with a Rookie QB in Cam Newton with no OTA’s in 2011 and set Several Feranchise Records for Points, Yards,TD’s etc,etc
#2) D/Coordinator Perry Jewel of the NY Giants – His record and rapport with young Defenseive Players has been well documented and will make a very good Head Coach in the NFL
#3) O/Coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr of the NO Saints– Next Year Sean Payton Returns if the Saints have a lot of Offensive SUccess this year, I expect CArmichael to fly to coop and have many opportunities to become a HC in the NFL
#4) Al Golden from Miami University – yes the Former HC of Temple may want to get out of the trainwreck that is the Univesity of Miami’s current and short-term Football Program..
#5) Secondary Coach Todd Bowles will get a courtesy Interview at the minimum…
#6) Brad Seely – Special Teams Coach with the 49ers is a name you hear pop up around the NFL for being a potenital Candidate for a HC Positon
#7) Winston Moss or Darren Perry from the Packers.. Moss is Asst HC to McCarthy and Perry is Secondary Coach..
The likeliehood the Eagles will go out and hire a re-tread is very,very, unlikely so you can put away your BIll Cowher, Tony Dungy, Kon Gruden, Bill Billick, Bill Parcells,Signs away for that won’t happen.. The Eagles will hire a younger more energetic Coach who can potentially be a HC for the next 8-10-12-15 Years like Coach AR was when he was hired..
Remove the word “probably” from your first sentence and you’ve got a good post there Paulman.
That being said, I don’t think Rid is as tied to Vick as people think. I think Reid will stick around (and have mixed feelings on that subject).
I think he’s going to be able to go to Lurie and spin a “look we all know we weren;t good enough to go to the SB. We’ve been in a 3 year rebuilding process and have retooled at OL, RB, WR, DL, LB etc. We’ve set things up just like we did in 1999. VIck was just a stopgap to keep everyone excited. Now we’ve got the team in place for another 5-7 yr run…Foles looks great…….but I need to stay around to see it through…..
yea well you don’t have any personal feelings to Reid, sooooo of course you hope and dont think he is tied to Vick…
Vinnie you are trash! you prove it day in and day out!
?? What the F comes into your head.
I said “mixed feelings” about Reid leaving because I try to balance the fact that he’s the most successful coach in Eagles’ history, he is a very strong game planner, and I think he;s a good personnel man (I like) with the fact that he still makes head scratching gametime decisions, still hasn’t figured out when to use a timeout, and often goes completely pass-wacky (don;t like)
So….”mixed feelings” in that I appreciate what Reid has done, but think his gametime foibles may just keep him from winning the big game.
But go ahead, keep rolling with your tired “VinnieyouracisthaterbigothateVickbecauseofhisskincolour” BS you seem so happy to roll out whenever faced with the ever piling mountain of evidence that Vick stinks.
Paul on the 13th you predicted that AR would get a three year extension. Then on the 14th you predicted he’d get the axe. And you will probably make 100 other predictions and if one is ultimately correct you will brag. Within the last two days you predicted contract extension and firing of the same man. Fraud
HAC, Paul is being sarcastic & goofy. He’s been doing it for years now. He’s only kidding around 90% of the times. The other 10%, he is when he’s off of his meds. 😀 Lighten up, & get your panties out of a bunch. He’s only kidding around, to get people like you all riled up.
You are right… Summer is over for me today…CAMP OPENS! will be busy as hell and no time to read goofiness!