Tag: Philadelphia Eagles (Page 51 of 61)

      Cardinals blasted by Eagles – prove they don’t belong…yet

      November 28, 2008 /

      Kurt WarnerThe past two weeks were supposed to be games the Arizona Cardinals used to prove that they belong with the elite teams in the NFC. Instead, they were soundly beat by the Giants at home and then absolutely waxed 48-20 by the Eagles on Thanksgiving night.

      What was interesting about the Cards’ loss to the Eagles Thursday night was that Philly didn’t blitz all that much. One could fathom that if Kurt Warner were under constant duress for four quarters, he would certainly struggle. But the Eagles dropped extra defenders into coverage and relied on their four-down linemen to create enough pressure on Warner to get him out of rhythm. The result: Warner did throw for 235 yards and three touchdowns, but he was also picked off three times.

      But a more telling sign that Arizona quite isn’t there yet is how both the Giants and Eagles did whatever they wanted to the Cardinal defense. Philly racked up 48 points and 437 yards in one game against Arizona, this after totaling just 20 points the past two weeks in a tie to the Bengals and a lose to the Ravens.

      Fortunately for the Cardinals, they play in the weakest division in the league. They’ll win their division, but what happens when they have to go into Carolina or Tampa come playoff time or worse yet – the Meadowlands? They should be able to get by a Wild Card team at home, although so far they haven’t proven that they can go on the road and beat a good team at their place.

      Kurt Warner has been a nice story this season, while Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston form one of the best receiving corps in the NFL – if not the best. But the defense is full of holes and ‘Zona has yet to prove they can beat a good team on the road. There seems to be a ceiling to this team’s success.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Donovan McNabb will start on Thanksgiving

      November 25, 2008 /

      Andy Reid noted Monday night that quarterback Donovan McNabb would keep his starting job and start on Thanksgiving against the Arizona Cardinals.

      Donovan McNabb“Donovan is the quarterback. I don’t want to leave here until you understand that,” coach Andy Reid emphasized at his news conference Monday. “Donovan is the quarterback for this football team.”

      “Sometimes you have to step back to step forward in a positive way and Donovan will do that,” Reid said. “This has nothing to do with Kolb’s performance or Donovan’s performance.”

      “As I sit here right now, he’s my starting quarterback,” Reid said. “I need to coach better. Donovan needs to play better and the guys around Donovan need to play better.”

      “I think I know Donovan McNabb better than anybody in this room,” Reid said. “I know [seven] turnovers, that’s not him. That’s no part of his game. You back up an inch and you evaluate it and you should be able to step forward a mile after that.”

      So what if McNabb plays poorly again in the first half? Does an unprepared Kolb then go back in? The mess has only begun in Philly. McNabb could do himself and Reid a huge favor with a solid performance.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Reid could follow McNabb out of Philly at season’s end

      November 24, 2008 /

      Andy ReidAfter he was benched at halftime of the Eagles’ embarrassing 36-7 loss to the Ravens on Sunday, there’s little doubt that the writing is on the wall for quarterback Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia.

      But what about head coach Andy Reid?

      After a couple of dreadful performances (and I mean dreadful), it’s hard to back McNabb at this point. His play last week in a tie against the Bengals was downright embarrassing and even hard to watch. It seriously looked like he was trying to throw into double and triple coverage just to see if he could still complete the pass. And his brilliant outing Sunday against the Ravens was JaMarcus Russell-esqe: 8 of 18 for 59 yards, two interceptions, one fumble.

      But Reid deserves plenty of criticism for throwing an unproven Kevin Kolb to the wolves after the Eagles had just cut their deficit to 10-7 at halftime. They were still in the game and while McNabb didn’t necessarily deserve to go back under center, Reid’s decision was inexplicable. It’s not like Kolb had a full week to prepare – he was thrust into a horrible situation, unprepared and against one of the nastiest defenses in the league. Reid essentially sealed his, and his teams’ fate by benching McNabb when a win was still very much in reach.

      So now what, Andy? Go back to McNabb in hopes he can save your fleeting playoff hopes? Or go with a second-year quarterback and pray he does his best Matt Cassel impression?

      Everyone likes to criticize Mike Martz for not running the football more, but what about Reid? He’s had success throwing the ball over his career, but he also continuously kills his team by not creating offensive balance. He might be the most overrated coach in the NFL and his decision to bench McNabb might not only cost him the playoffs this season, but also his job in Philadelphia. If McNabb goes, shouldn’t Reid, too?

      NFL

      Is this the beginning of the end for McNabb in Philly?

      November 23, 2008 /

      For the second week in a row, Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb looked absolutely atrocious as the Ravens crushed Philadelphia 36-7 on Sunday. But unlike last week, McNabb didn’t even finish the game as he was benched for Kevin Kolb in the second half.

      McNabb was just 8 of 18 for 59 yards, two interceptions and also lost a fumble. Kolb didn’t fare much better, completing 10 of 23 passes for 73 yards and two interceptions, but one has to wonder if McNabb’s benching may signal the beginning of the end for his time in Philadelphia.

      At 5-5, the Eagles’ playoff hopes are fading fast and the Eagles might want to start preparing for the future with Kolb. Chances are McNabb will remain the starter until Philly is completely knocked out of postseason contention, but it’ll be interesting to see if Andy Reid makes the switch to Kolb towards the end of the year and then the team parts ways with McNabb in the offseason.

      As for Baltimore, this was quite a rebound performance after the Giants dismantled them last week in New York. Rookie Joe Flacco was efficient, completing 12 of 26 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns, but more importantly, the Ravens’ running game was solid again (Le’Ron McClain finished with 88 yards and a touchdown) and the defense was dominant. They remain in the playoff hunt, but they could use a San Diego win over Indy to keep the Colts a game behind in the Wild Card race.

      NFL

      NFL Week 12 Primer

      November 23, 2008 /

      Brandon JacobsSunday’s Best: Giants (9-1) at Cardinals (7-3), 4:00 PM ET
      It might not be the sexiest game of the year, but this is one of the best matchups of the 2008 season. The Giants have been one of the best road teams over the last couple years, and the Cardinals are a completely (better) different team in the comforts of their own home than on the road. Kurt Warner is playing like a league MVP and it’ll be interesting to see how the underrated New York secondary matches up with the explosive Arizona passing game. There haven’t been a lot of opponents have been able to get pressure on Warner this season, but the G-Men have one of the best front sevens in the league. All indications are that Brandon Jacobs will play, which should help New York keep Arizona’s potent offense off the field. Both teams have a commanding lead in their respective divisions, but a win for the Giants could go a long way in eventually securing home field advantage in the postseason.

      Upset Watch: Buccaneers (7-3) at Lions (0-10), 1:00 PM ET
      I’m sure I’ll get crap for this one, but give me credit for taking a shot with this upset. Outside of getting their ass handed to them by Jacksonville two weeks ago, the Lions have been inching closer and closer to their first victory. Jon Gruden’s offense is effective, but the Buccaneers have had issues once they get into the red zone this year. They settled for three field goals inside the red zone last week against Minnesota, which essentially kept the Vikings in the game. Not that Detroit’s defense will provide much of a challenge, but if the Lions can keep the game close throughout, they might have a shot at a late score. Every year it seems that the Lions manage to win a game they’re not supposed to and I’m calling my shot this weekend – it’ll be Tampa. It helps that the Lions beat the Bucs last season, too, although it’s safe to say that the 2007 Detroit team was a shade better this year’s version.

      Philip RiversIntriguing Matchup: Colts (6-4) at Chargers (4-6), 8:15 PM ET
      After getting embarrassed by the Titans on Monday Night Football in Week 8, the Colts have won three straight and beaten quality AFC teams like the Patriots and Steelers. Indy has jumped right back into the playoff race and are one of the more dangerous teams in the league. But without Bob Sanders (knee injury) in the lineup, the Colts are a completely different team defensively. And although LaDainian Tomlinson has been quiet this year, he’s still one of the most explosive backs in the league and does anyone believe he can’t still take over a game? The Chargers are always dangerous on national TV because they play with a chip on their shoulder. They’ve also shown improvements defensively under Ron Rivera, who took over for Ted Cotrell at coordinator. Even though San Diego has struggled this year and has stumbled to 4-6, this is going to be a dogfight.

      Other Notable Games:
      Jets (7-3) at Titans (10-0), 1:00 PM ET
      Along with the Giants-Cardinals game, this could easily be the best matchup of the week. Pundits keep waiting for Tennessee to fall, but something tells me it won’t be this week. Brett Favre is susceptible to throwing an interception or two, which doesn’t bode well playing against a very opportunistic Titans’ defense. Some are smelling upset – I say the Titans remain undefeated after this week.

      Panthers (8-2) at Falcons (6-4), 4:15 PM ET
      The Falcons’ playoff hopes took a hit last week when they lost to Denver, but the Panthers have struggled with inferior opponents as of late. Jake Delhomme has not looked very sharp and Atlanta has been solid at home. This is a huge game for the NFC South.

      Eagles (5-4-1) at Ravens (6-4), 1:00 PM ET
      A loss for the Eagles and they can kiss their postseason hopes goodbye. The Ravens have a great chance to prove they’re for real after they were clowned by the Giants last week.

      Patriots (6-4) at Dolphins (6-4), 1:00 PM ET
      This is a massive game for the AFC East, especially with the Jets playing in Tennessee. A win for either one of these teams could mean a share for the AFC East Division lead and don’t forget the Dolphins absolutely crushed the Patriots in Foxboro earlier this season. The fireworks in this game have already started this week with Joey Porter.

      NFL

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