In honor of the kind words being heaped upon Eagles’ defensive coordinator Jim Johnson in this morning’s papers, I’d like to play another round of the people-who-look-like-other-people game.

I’ve got a treat on this go-round for all the sci-fi dweebs out there in the audience: how bouts Jim Johnson looks like the recently outed Cylon Colonel Saul Tigh from Battlestar Galactica.  Beyond just looks, they both have a certain gruff, no-nonsense demeanor. No word yet on whether JJ shares Tigh’s drinking problem, hot traitor wife, and general levels of pissedoffedness in re: Starbuck.

Of course, this could all be nonsense; as noted earlier, all white people look alike to me.

(Feel free to call me a giant dork in the comments.  N.B. that I’m also super into the Terminator show, but that’s mostly because I completely believe that killer robots will be the death of us all.)

In the game that was the inverse of last Monday’s shootout against Dallas, the Eagles roughed up the Steelers in a tough-ass defensive struggle, 15-6. 

Quick-hit reactions to a very satisfying TV show:    

Jim Johnson and the defensive front, take a bow.  Six days after giving up 34 points (I won’t blame them for the special teams TD), the Birds’ defense channeled the 1991 Eagles and just humiliated the Steelers.  The ball was snapped, and the line immediately moved two yards backward on pretty much every down.  It seemed like the Steelers gave up running the ball pretty early, and stubbornly instructed Roethlisberger to try to throw the ball.  Nope.  It wasn’t just a couple plays worth of pressure, it was pressure on every single down.  Darren Howard, Juqua Parker and Trent Cole were monsters.  The body language from the Steelers’ receivers was the most telling part — you could tell they were sick of running routes and not even having the ball come out.  Jim Johnson and the defense have officially made it up to us for the Dallas game.

Speaking of making it up to us after the Dallas game.  I guess the Dawkins retirement can wait another week.  His pterodactyl Makhtar (Editor’s note: Makhtar is a slang term used to describe the act of violently smacking an object out of another’s hand; derived from Makhtar N’Diaye and his proclivity for clumsy fouls) on Big Ben was the best Eagles’ play of the season so far. 

$57 million seemed like a lot, but, well, we like interceptions.  Asante Samuel is definitely earning it after three weeks.  I’ll argue that he’s actually been a little lost in the media shuffle so far, and that he’d definitely be a big story in most other towns, but given the unique, ahem, landscape of storylines amongst the local blathertariat, he’s gotten off pretty easy.  I can’t say I’m anything but impressed by this guy. 

I don’t think I’ve ever been that excited about the punter.  Get ready for a week of “This is the week it clicked for Sav Rocca” though he’s been pretty good so far this season.  He absolutely made a difference today. 

And suddenly it’s the third quarter of a preseason game.  When Kolb checked in with Buckhalter and Booker in the backfield and Baskett and Avant split wide, well, it got pretty chill in my apartment.  It got a little warmer when McNabb checked back in, but even that was an Eagles team without its starting backfield, Pro Bowl guard and presumptive top wideout.  Yikes.

Booker is a liability in pass defense.  Booker whiffed horribly on the McNabb pick, kind of fell down in the act of not even getting a finger on the blitzer.  Not so impressive.  Westbrook and Buckhalter don’t miss like that.    

Think happy thoughts. Let’s pretend the 36 Chambers of Brian Westbrook isn’t actually hurt and will be back at practice on Wednesday.  Somewhere GCobb is working on a blog post about how Westbrook can’t stay healthy. 

Also, The NFC East still hasn’t lost a game to anyone but an NFC East team.  Though I hope the Cowboys lose in a barrage of injuries to fix that.  Obviously.

Great game.  Go Birds. 

I really wish I was a little more excited about the game this afternoon. The Birds’ season is pretty much through, and I’m mostly concerned that the team has already quit — meaning that I’m going to watch them capitulate to the Cowboys this afternoon with little to no resistance.

That would not be sweet.

All I can think of as kickoff approaches is the opening lines from the very fabulous A Season With Verona by Tim Parks:

“FACCI SOGNARE says the banner. Make us dream! Please!”

And really, that’s what I’m asking for this afternoon. I know there are no playoffs (much less a Super Bowl) in the Birds’ immediate future. I’m rational. That’s all done.

I just want something to get excited about. Something to convince me that these guys are worth rooting for and that next year might be better than this one. (Read the rest of this story.)

For the avoidance of doubt, the Eagles did not win a game on Sunday night.

Yes, they most certainly covered the largest spread in 25 years against the best team in football, but they didn’t win. It’s an L. Same as the losses against the Giants, the Redskins, the Cowboys, the Bears, and the Packers.

Of course, I’d be lying if I said I was anything but giddy about last night’s game/ loss. It didn’t count as a win, but as a piece of entertainment — and as proof of the vitality of the Philadelphia Eagles franchise — it was the best thing we’d seen all year. Hands down. The Birds lost, and this was still the best Eagles game of the season. If we can say nothing else about Sunday night’s affair (don’t worry, we can say plenty), it is this: the loss against the Pats makes me want to watch them again — makes me want to believe (!). Makes me want to believe like the Carolina game last year. Or like the Week 15 win against the Giants. It made me think that this is team worth rooting for (something I hadn’t really felt all that often this season).

And really, that’s all I’m asking from the Eagles TV show/ live event.

Now for some actual game analysis:
(Read the rest of this story.)

What’s that gigantic tall thing over there in the corner?

Oh, that’s right. It’s Jim Johnson’s oversized novelty mobile phone! The one he’s going to use on Sunday to DIAL UP SOME BLITZES against the Dolphins and their rookie quarterback who’ll be starting his very first NFL game:

“John Beck, the oversized novelty mobile phone is for you.”

“Cool — do you know who’s calling?”

“Someone named Quintin Mikell. He says he wants to break your jaw on a safety blitz from the blind side.”

“Oh cool, put him through.”

(Read the rest of this story.)