Just watched Andy Reid’s presser. It contained actual information!
Most interesting/ compelling thing he said: “…it’d be Kevin and DeSean” in re: who will be starting at wideout. Sorry, Reggie Brown!
Least interesting/ compelling thing he said: “I feel like I have an All-Pro tight end” in re: a question about L.J. Smith. That’s probably why you guys went after Tony Gonzalez! So you could have two All-Pro tight ends!
Are we actually using phrases like “There are enough balls to go around”? Really? Because of a win against the Niners? What about the two weeks of lousy against the Skins and Bears? Personally, I think the Eagles’ receivers are just fine — certainly not elite, but definitely competent when healthy. But this isn’t the 1992 Dream Team; I expect most fans will be content if the Eagles can muster up just a few big plays from their wideouts. I certainly don’t think we have to worry about hurting these guys’ feelings.
Of course, a healthy Curtis means that someone among Baskett, Avant and Greg Lewis is likely going to sit this week. Um, again, I don’t think this is an advanced-placement-level question: the answer is Greg Lewis. I guess he and his 172 lbs. play a little special teams, but so do brand-new linebackers.
Of course, the larger question here is what happens to young Master DeSean. I really hope that having Curtis and Brown healthy doesn’t land him on the bench, and instead is used “as an excuse to find him deep in single coverage.” That’d be sweet.
Oh my heavens! I think we might need an intervention here. I’d like all the Iggles Blog readers to note that Derek just said that he’s only been to two Eagles games! (I mean, there are legitimate reasons for this, but still.) I bet more than a few of the fans of Iggles Blog have season tickets. This is your hint to send Derek an e-mail and invite him to a game. Think of all the joy (and charts, and graphs, and lengthy defenses of Donovan McNabb) he’s brought you over the years — don’t you think you owe it to him to bring him to a game?
At the very least, the Birds organization should comp you as some sort of blogger outreach program. (NOTE WELL anyone from Birds HQ who might be reading this: I would also like to come to more games! Right here! The Bounty!)
Cheers to the SAWX for their big comeback last night. Though I can’t help but note that there really isn’t a good answer in re: which city the Phils face in the World Series — it’s essentially the two cities respsonsible for the Worst Eagles Experiences of the last decade (being, of course, the 2002 NFC Championship/ Final Game at the Vet and Super Bowl XXXIX). Depending on your inclination with these things, it’s either a win-win or a lose-lose. I’d like to suggest some sort of Flyers-esque “Vengeance Now” value prop for the local marketing efforts, but I think the Phils are a little too PG for that.
On to the football, first with some comments on your replies to my questions.
WHOA. Damn skippy you need to be careful what you’re saying in re: Darren Howard! It certainly isn’t outside the realm of possibility, but man, that’s quite a bit to suggest. I mean, I obviously love an elaborate conspiracy theory as much as the next fellow, but the Occam’s Razor answer seems a bit more plausible; can’t we just assume he signed a big contract, loafed around and then finally got in shape when he was worried about his job? I mean, that’s what I would have done….
But while we’re on the topic, were there ever rumblings when Dunavin showed up for work a couple years as Bulky Donovan? Or was he just lifting too much? I mean, McNabb is obviously a guy who’s going to need to be careful about the waistline once he’s done playing; maybe he’s just big-boned? Also — and you’ll love this one — I’m sure you read the section in Pro Football Prospectus about how remarkably healthy the Cowboys have been over recent years…don’t tell me it didn’t lead you to wonder if there was a little something-something added to the salad bar at Valley Ranch.
Thus concludes the Unfounded Accusations portion of today’s post.
Also, you should really be more careful about what you say about David Akers. You know he’s sitting on his couch right now sporting his fashionably rimless spectacles, catching up on Mad Men, and hitting F5 on Iggles Blog. At the rate you’re going, you’ll never get another interview out of those Reebok people.
And now for your questions of me.
1. Favorite / least favorite Eagles and why? No cheating by picking old-timers, I’m talking current roster.
This is actually a pretty easy question. It’s Sheldon Brown by about two touchdowns. My reasons: (a) I’ve always had a fondness for big-hitting DBs, and he’s been the biggest-hitting DB for the past three seasons (with apologies to Dawk; the days of the Dawkplex are past); (b) he actually speaks honestly and intelligently to the press, and doesn’t appear to be completely full of sh*t — it’s like he skipped media training; (c) he plays every week. That counts for a lot. So yeah, I’m a big fan. I’m actually staring at a framed copy of the SI cover photo of him drilling Reggie Bush (”Cardboard Box“) right now.
2. Fill in the blanks: “The Phillies winning the World Series would feel like __________. The Eagles winning the Super Bowl would feel like __________.”
You know, this is a really hard question to answer without sounding like a complete pervert, so apologies in advance for my answer (which draws upon the amount of time I spend on airplanes): “The Phillies winning the World Series would feel like getting a surprise upgrade to first class for a seventeen-hour flight to Australia. The Eagles winning the Super Bowl would feel like getting a surprise upgrade to my own private jet for a seventeen-hour flight to Australia, only we’re not going to Australia, we’re going to a special island in the South Pacific where cheesesteaks grow on trees, clothing has been outlawed, and I am about to be named emperor.” (Too much?)
3. You’re really not going to ask about Tony Hunt?
Okay, so tell me about Tony Hunt. I just assume he’ll end up in Minnesota, right? You can just ask him, right? I assume he’s spending his time off chilling at your place? He’s playing XBox right now?
4. Over the past 10 months, the Eagles have been linked by rumor to approximately two dozen players not currently on their roster. Of the guys who actually changed teams — yes, we all wanted Larry Fitzgerald — who are you most annoyed about not getting? (NOTA is an acceptable answer if you show your work.)
Let me get the obvious and popular answers out the way first: the answer isn’t going to be a wideout, so we can cross off Randy Moss and Roy Williams. My answer might have been different six months ago, but that was before young Master DeSean was dropped at our doorstep. The Moss thing was especially tempting, more so than Roy Williams. I’m just not as completely obsessed by this position as your average Birds fan. I mean, I guess I could say Jared Allen because, well, he’s Jared Allen and it remains relatively difficult to find dominant defensive ends. But I don’t know if that was actually ever in play. (The Skins can have Jason Taylor, though.)
I actually would have been pretty psyched if the Birds could have nabbed Jeremy Shockey. There. I said it. He’s better than L.J., and would have played like a complete psychopath against the Giants. But my actual answer — and admittedly, this is very fresh — is Tony Gonzalez. DOOOOOOOOOOOD. That’s pretty much exactly what the Birds need. A red-zone beast who’d be reinvigorated on a new team? Plus he’s a veteran guy who’s a non-idiot and seems like he has the personality and temperament to handle the Illadelph? Also, he comes with a lovely commitment partner.
Also it’s worth noting that I really like the guy they did get: Asante Samuel. This is just the beginning of the Asante Samuel era in Philly. This guy definitely counts as a playmaker, and he’s not going anywhere. Seriously. He’ll be a “real Eagle” soon enough.
5. I cheated on your bonus question, but now I’m kind of interested in hearing your answer to it. I’m rubber, you’re glue …
First off, I know I thought that the Eagles would lose to the Nerdbirds before the season began, but I herby update my opinion on this topic. Seattle has to be the most disappointing team in the NFL right now. The Eagles had better win that game. Of course, none of us care about that because, well, no one cares about the Left Coast teams (nor should they — West Coast teams are, as well know, soft). Let me throw a couple random ones out there:
a. Shawn Andrews doesn’t play another game for the Eagles this year, and spends the off-season musing about retirement.
b. Dallas misses the playoffs. Wade Phillips is fired shortly thereafter. Jason Garrett is named the head coach. Wow. That was awesome to type.
c. Washington makes the playoffs. I can’t believe I’m typing that, but playing solid defense and running the ball can get you pretty far in the NFL. And for the life of me I’m not going to say nice things about the Giants.
d. Brian Westbrook never really gets healthy and rushes for fewer than 900 yards on the season (he’s at 194 after six games, so I’m saying he doesn’t break 70 yards/ game over the remaining ten).
e. Finally, at long last: Donovan McNabb starts 16 games, and, GASP, is welcomed back as the Eagles presumptive starter for 2009!
Good news for the Birds: it looks like Reggie Brown has been cleared to play tomorrow against the Steelers.
At least you’d think it was good news — Reggie Brown was a presumptive starter for the erstwhile wideout-challenged Birds, and surely he must be an upgrade over the backups who’ve been out there the past couple weeks? But the buzz in more than a couple places is that Brown’s return really isn’t such a big deal at all. In fact, given that DeSean Jackson has been lining up at Brown’s “X” receiver position (Editor’s Note: I don’t really know what that means), some have wondered if there will really be a role for Reggie Brown.
While I’ve had my issues with Reggie Brown in the past, the guy has actually made some plays in the past. And whilst I obviously eat up any and all rumors regarding his “rocky relationship” with Donovan McNabb, Reggie Brown is definitely a better NFL player than Greg Lewis, Hank Baskett and Jason Avant. The issue is young master Jackson, who’s, um, apparently pretty good, and certainly a lot more exciting than Brown. It’s tough not to be distracted by Jackson; he’s a much brighter/ shinier object than boring old Reggie Brown.
All that said, Brown getting back on the field is good news. The passing game has been delightfully vertical so far, and adding one more solid wideout can only increase the offense’s upside.
In a season debut that contained about eleven-and-a-half minutes of actual tension, the Eagles crushed the Rams to the tune of 38-3. Thirty-eight to three! This was a lovely afternoon — big win for the Birds, and minimal anxiety for the fan base. We have all week to debate whether this result was due to the Eagles’ sweetness or the Rams’ crapulence (I suspect the answer will contain “a little bit of both”), but for now, I’m just happy to have a spring in my step tomorrow morning.
A few random observations (note: contains very few complaints):
I guess we can’t complain about Dunavin not throwing the deep ball. Wow. I was just hoping for one or two shots down the field. McNabb was more than comfortable launching 25-yard patterns all afternoon — and it didn’t hurt that (a) the Rams got barely any pressure on him and (b) dudes seemed to be insanely open. Greg Lewis, Hank Baskett and Jason Avant remain Greg Lewis, Hank Baskett and Jason Avant, but I guess even second-tier pro wideouts can get it done if no one covers them.
The papers are gushing about DeSean Jackson; I’m cautiously opimistic. He certainly looks solid for a rookie, and 5 seems to like him a ton (sure saw a ton of balls on the opening drive, and wasn’t even open on the big gainer on said drive). I definitely think he counts as a weapon, and I’m psyched, but I’m not panting. That is, it wasn’t like Week One in 2004 when T.O. caught three TDs against the Giants; a certain degree of moistness remains absent. (All that said, keep it up kid!)
Cardboard box. I wasn’t sure if the Sheldon Brown hit had made youtube yet. Silly me!
Speaking of the defense, if I was nitpicking I’d complain that they didn’t score on their own. Could have been at least three picks out there, and the one Samuel dropped was a pick-six waiting to happen. I worried that the Eagles might struggle a little with Jackson around the edge. Not so much. Also, and maybe it was the reception on the television or something, but did Darren Howard have a big game? The Rams are going to struggle this year, aren’t they.
Shovel pass! How can defenders be surprised when they see the split-back set from the Eagles at the goal line? In this day and age! They have video recording equipment to capture game film, correct? They knew that it was coming, no? It’s just that they couldn’t stop it?
B-West with the fumbles? At least he had the good taste to fumble out of bounds the second time, but didn’t Westbrook fumble on two consecutive plays? Bizarre. And really, that might be the only legitimate complaint I can offer.
Count me among the Eagles cognoscenti who thought that the whinging about the state of the wide receivers corps was the surefire sign of an unsophisticated Eagles/ football fan. Sure, everyone WANTS to have a top-flight wideout, but everyone should also want to have a top-flight corner, defensive end, running back, etc., and well, you can’t have everything. Those who insisted that the Eagles upgrade at wideout were still living in 2004 and hadn’t reset their expectations.
(Of course, we’ll discount the part where Andy Reid took a run at Randy Moss in February and where I’ve been lusting after Anquan Boldin. That means nothing!)
So don’t I feel a bit silly right now as the Eagles enter Week One without the services of their two presumed starters at wide receiver. Sure, they’re still 7.5-point favorites (can we really lay ALL those points on an Andy Reid team opening weekend?) and the backups are at least familiar with the team and the offense (with the exception of wunderkind DeSean Jackson), but, um, shouldn’t this be cause for concern? I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t having horrific visions of Green Bay last September, and a Birds team that thought it could play without a punt returner.
I’ll admit that I have no idea who’ll actually catch the most balls on Sunday. I needed to grab a Birds WR off the waiver wire (DeSean Jackson was already on a roster) in one of my imaginary football leagues, and I really didn’t know who to take. Seriously. I was at a total loss. AND I READ THIS FREAKING STUFF NON-STOP. My final analysis was that Avant was the best imaginary football bet (for some imagined red-zone value), even though the team seems to be higher on Baskett? Anyone? Seriously, I’m baffled here.
We can only dream, as Rich Hoffman did earlier this week, that the absence of the starting wideouts will convince Andy Reid to play Big 8 football circa 1985. If nothing else, it’ll help resurrect the “Eagles should run more” meme that’s been so noticeably absent this off-season. Though I guess it’s tough to b*tch about playcalling when the Eagles haven’t called a play since December 2007.
(My bad being offline the past day or so — lots of airplanes and not much free time. We got some catching up to do this weekend!)
Brown’s uncertainty leaves the Eagles short in experience at wide receiver. With Kevin Curtis already out indefinitely after sports-hernia surgery, the Birds are down their top two from last season. Greg Lewis and Hank Baskett are decent complimentary options, but neither has ever been a No. 1. Head coach Andy Reid said he has some maneuverability.
It’s one thing when an error shows up in marketing copy on PE.com, it’s quite another when it shows up in the dailies. Errors happen, sure, and we all know the fishwrapper biz is in the midst of implosion (that pesky Craigslist!), but this is almost correction-worthy.
I say almost because, well, it’s in the sports section, and, um, no one really cares but nerds like me.
Wow. Forgive the pun, but this kind of sucks for Kevin Curtis. (Is it a pun? Or do I have too much groin on the brain? Wait, groin on the brain?) And the Eagles. And all of us.
Past the considerable football implications, we can only assume that this sort of injury means a significant no-nookie period for Curtis. Given that his religious inclinations take most other fun stuff off the table, it sure looks like Kevin’s going to need to make his peace with a lot of long nights ordering pizza, playing Bioshock and slurping down Sierra Mist.
As an FYI, the wide receiver corps is now officially a “shambles.” That’s a highly technical term meaning “a condition that yields eleven defenders whose eyes are exclusively glued to the numbers 3 and 6.”
Cacophony of horrified screams from the rest of the blogertariat:
Rod Graves
General Manager
Arizona Cardinals
PO Box 888
Phoenix, AZ 85001-0888
Mr. Graves:
Hale and hearty greetings to you, good sir! I hope the crisp, clear desert air is treating you well and trust that you have had an appropriately relaxing and intellectually challenging summer. Surely a man of your character and disposition values his time away from the often discourteous wranglings of frontline capitalism; hopefully you’ve had time to peruse a few monographs or enjoy a brief hunting expedition along the northern frontier.
It has come to our attention here in Philadelphia that there exists a certain degree of disgruntlement amongst your corps of flanker and split ends. While we all understand that candid discussions of compensation are a bit gauche, we certainly appreciate that certain demotivated employees — especially if said employees represent the aforementioned flanker and split end corps — are capable of destabilizing organizational morale.
With that in mind, we have a proposal that we believe might be beneficial for both your organization and our local professional gridiron affiliate. Specfically, we might suggest an exchange of players in which we would offer the rights to our Pro Bowl cornerback, Mr. Lito Sheppard, for your disgruntled flanker.
You might contend that your organization already boasts a number of players who competently play this position, including a recent selection from the NFL entry draft. Sir, I shan’t insult your taste by assuming that you aren’t capable of discerning quality amongst NFL footballers. And quality is what we have on offer!
Perhaps you caught our training match last Thursday on the Fox television network? You may have noticed that our Pro Bowler on offer scored an INTERCEPTION in that contest. As you are well aware, the INTERCEPTION is the sine qua non of defensive backfield play — surely this augurs well for his future success.
As for the gap that the departure of your disgruntled flanker might create, well, it would be discourteous for us to ignore this need. Thus we might also offer the services of one of our flankers in return. Perhaps you’d be interested in Gregory Lewis? He has caught a TOUCHDOWN PASS in both the NFL’s highly publicized Super Bowl game and in our recent training match, indicating consistent quality. As you are well aware, the TOUCHDOWN PASS is the sine qua non of flanker play.
In closing, we know you are a man familiar with the rolling hills and charming populace of the Delaware Valley, having started your career as a scout for the erstwhile Philadelphia Stars. We hope that your familiarity with our quiet hamlet and its kindly denizens will allow you to appropriately evaluate the prudence of this transaction.
Yours cordially,
Wideout-Obsessed Eagles Supporters d/b/a The Bounty
While I was certainly thrilled to see some actual live Eagles football, I guess my biggest takeaway from last night’s game was “I am totally psyched that I didn’t pay full price to attend this.” As if the part where it wasn’t an actual game wasn’t awkward enough, the rain delay added insult to injury. Enjoy your soaking, we’re going to keep you crowded into the concourse for the next 45 minutes, concession stands will remain open, and you’ll be able to return to your soggy seat shortly. Don’t worry, you should be home by one.
Anyhoo, my takeaways (big and little) from last night:
These guys are small. Dude! I knew Lorenzo Booker and DeSean Jackson weren’t the largest of fellows, but they looked freakin’ tiny out there. Get these boys on the Michael Phelps diet STAT! Seriously, at that size we can’t pretend that they’re going to make it through the full season upright, can we? And it isn’t the height thing, it’s the mass issue. Dude.
In which we all towel off in re: the capabilities of Max-Jean Gilles. While we remain hopeful about the progression of Gilles, he played like a very inexperienced guy last night. The huge whiff on that screen pass block was kind of comical. It almost happened in slow motion: “Come on, big fella, you’ve got him….OOHHHHHHH!” Also, the penalties were pretty lame. I guess better now than later.
Sure they played well, but the Panthers’ offense looked bad. The defense certainly looked competent, though the Panthers did the Birds the favor of running into the middle of the line (and avoiding the edge runs which had apparently vexed the defense against the Stillers) and not including Steve Smith in the festivities. So it’s tough to get too too excited about what we saw on defense. Also, though I’ve always had a soft spot for Jake Delhomme, I would not feel awesome about the QB situation in Carolina if I was a Panthers fan. Lito’s pick was especially terrible — total floater. Maybe it was the conditions, but he did not look sharp.
Speaking of the defense, get ready for Stew Bradley in coverage. Tip of the cap to the Panthers for a clever play call on the almost-touchdown to Mush. They bunched the receivers in the slot and got Bradley on Mush. Were it not for a vicious, completely out-of-line helmet-on-helmet collision between two veteran guys, we’d be talking a lot about Bradly chasing people in the middle of the field.
That’s gotta be a fine, right? After the hideous highlight against the Steelers, I’m glad Dawk got his groove back a little bit. Still, that shot in the end zone has got to earn him a charitable donation from league HQ. Too much, Dawk, too much. We want you to last the whole season.
An early 2006 vibe with the catching. We hadn’t seen drops like that in a while. Sure, it was wet, but a lot of those balls were there. We can forgive a couple drops from Jackson (though we’d prefer less jumping and fluttering of the feet and more focus on “catching the ball”), but Curtis? Baskett? The ball from Kolb that hit Baskett in the f*cking face over the middle was not sweet. Dunavin certainly wasn’t perfect last night, but a number of those balls should have been caught.
Who really wanted to make the team last night. Top of the list is Tony Hunt, who ran well, made a great catch on a poorly thrown screen pass from Kolb, and actually made some plays on special teams. Adios, Ryan Moats! Also, I had no idea who Fake Jeremiah Trotter was, but he definitely has to have played himself into practice squad consideration. McDougle looks like he’s definitely making the team. This was also the first I’d seen of Joe Mays. More please.
Who should feel very cold and lonely this morning. Sean Considine running with the threes! Yikes! Also, as noted, Ryan Moats can probably go month-to-month on his lease at this point.
And finally, the absolute low point of the game. So we’d heard a lot about the investment in special teams in the offseason. The Birds acknowledged the problem and tried to address it. And, um, well, it doesn’t seem to be working. Booker struggled to field kickoffs (nightmares of Green Bay running through our head), the fake field goal was completely hideous, and I have officially joined the “David Akers must go before he costs the Birds a divisional game” team. The Birds are telling us that the coverage was good? I guess so. But it sure didn’t seem very organized out there. I have to imagine that this is a Defcon Four situation at the NovaCare complex this morning.
Still, it was cool to have football back. Onwards!
