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Just who is Vince Papale? For those of you who don't know ... Philadelphia
through and through, Vince Papale is a true local hero. His story - that you
should never give up and always continue to pursue your dreams - embodies the
spirit of Philadelphia and serves to empower anyone who has ever been told they
can't achieve their goals. You see, in 1976, at the age of 30, Vince tried out
for the Philadelphia Eagles, made the team, and became the oldest rookie in the
history of the NFL. His story doesn't stop here ... it is just the beginning.
Be sure to check back weekly, as Vince will file blog
entries following each Eagles game, giving you a birds eye perspective on the
stats, facts and latest Eagles news.
Meet Vince
Visit Vince's Web Site
Curses abound in Pro Sports. Boston exorcized the Curse of the Bambino. The Chicago Cubs are still haunted by the Curse of the Billy Goat. Loyal Philly sports fans swear there is a hex on our sports team. Now there's a bona fide charm residing in Texas Stadium, one caused by none other than Tony Romo. It's called "The Curse of The Babe"…apparitions of Jessica Simpson and Carrie Underwood flaunting their #9 jerseys for their favorite quarterback. Want to see Tony Romo bomb…invite a box office bombshell to decrepit Texas Stadium to root for their man.
What a great day! Not only did the Eagles beat the Cowboys but for those of us watching on TV you could feel and see something missing often this year: animation, a swagger, a certain chip on the shoulder. A disdain for a team that equaled that contempt we most loyal fans have felt since the days of Landry and America's Team! It was great to see Andy lose it over that cheap shot put on Matt Schobel by Ken Hamlin. It was even better to see the real T.O. surface with shots of him barking on the bench. And even better than that was the incredible decision by Brian Westbrook to fall on the one yard line at the end of the game. I will savor these images for a long time.
However, I must admit that I was nervous throughout the game. It is Eagles versus Cowboys, after all, and aside from a win I just wanted those local Cowboys fans to crawl back under their rocks where they belong.
Give this team and coaches credit for a gutty win. Don't be swayed by those naysayers who say the Cowboys were sleep walking and they came out flat. We never got excuses for our losses and we don't need any given to an opponent they clearly whipped for winning a game. Your Birds simply outplayed the Cowboys and finally, this time, we found a way to win instead of finding a way to lose!!!
Let's start with the defense. First off, Lito Sheppard held Terrell Owens in check and we were able to limit Romo. He was kept in the pocket and hurried and rushed often. He got off to a slow start and never had a chance to get into a rhythm. The Cowboys were just 1-13 on third down and were without a TD for the first time this season. For the first time in a long time we were able to get timely interceptions - I can't remember the last time we led in the takeaway/turnover battle. Look how important that is.
I like the way the offense moved the ball. We're all disappointed that they stalled in the red zone a few times but the bottom line is winning and they did enough to do that. Donovan McNabb had flashes of the QB he was a few years ago, making timely plays with both his arm and his legs. What more can I say about Brian Westbrook? Without Correll Buckhalter, he was out there almost every play and once again he gained close to 150 yards of offense. His decision to go down at the 1 yard line showed he is a smart football player to go along with being a gifted athlete. Give credit to the play calling keeping true to the game plan with a nice mix of pass and run.
After the way the team played in the first three games against the NFC East, I am truly shocked but pleasantly surprised that we were able to come back and beat the Cowboys and Redskins and come close to beating the Giants. This is a good team that showed that it has a huge amount of pride. That's what's made it so frustrating this year. Let's end this season on a positive note.
I'm looking forward to seeing the Pro Bowl announcements this week. Brian Westbrook should be the starting running back in the NFC. If that doesn't happen it would be a bigger upset than the win against the Cowboys.
I had a gut feeling the Eagles would come out swinging
against the Giants, and they didn't disappoint…with a great mix of run and dink
& dunk pass. Seven to zip in a heartbeat and the rout was on, right. Then
the scales tilted and that mobster called balance reared its ugly head. That and
not seizing opportunities.
Balance. I've talked about it here all season. The offense
plays better when everything is balanced. A 50-50 ratio between running and
passing, it couldn't be more balanced than that. Today the Eagles ran 28 plays
to 33 pass plays. That sounds pretty good but the offense didn't play well so
let's take a deeper look.
After the game I picked up a play-by-play on the way out.
First of all Donovan scrambled twice so it was actually 26 run plays to 35 pass
plays by the end of the game. Not terrible. And against some thinking that if
you score early first you run late in the game. Sort of an evening out of the
pass vs. run ratio. However, you don't measure balance at the end of the game.
You must look at it from series to series.
The Eagles had 12 possessions. I am going to break them
down into two categories - those that gained 20 or more yards and those that
didn't. The first two series the Eagles gained 68 and 24 yards. On the first
they had 3 running plays and 3 passing plays. The second was 6 running plays and
2 passing plays. The last three series were as follows: 52 yards (7 run, 4
pass), 51 yards (5 run, 3 pass), 50 yards (0 run, 4 pass; all with under one
minute remaining).
The 7 series that gained less than 20 yards were as
follows: 4 yards (0-3), 14 yards (1-2), 17 yards (1-5), 1 yard (0-3), 17 yards
(2-4), 2 yards (0-1), 6 yards (0-3). That stretch where they gained 61 yards on
7 series there were 4 running plays to 21 passing plays. On a day when Brian
Westbrook ran for nearly 6 yards per carry and Correll Buckhalter for 5 yards a
pop, there was no reason to get away from the run for that long. The Eagles had
momentum early and they moved the ball late with a balanced
offense.
Aren't you curious what the outcome would be if an offense
ran the ball more than it passed? The idea is supposed to be to do what you need
each week, each series, each play to get the most yards and hopefully, most
points. Opponents are now convinced that the Eagles will pass the ball and seem
to make a greater effort to stop the pass. Running lanes have been open if you
trust and stay with the plan.
The Eagles have now lost 6 games this season in which
another score would have changed the outcome. I haven't looked in detail at each
of them but I have to wonder if they would have stayed with a running game that
was working if the outcome could have been different. Of course there's much
more to it than that. Players have to make plays. As simple as that. No sense in
lamenting in what could have been.
Balance = 50% = .500. I can't believe we have to win out just to get there. Add to that the Cowboys clinching the NFC East. Ugh!
As a fan I'm heartbroken. I cannot believe that this is
the Eagles team I entered the season rooting for, the one I had high
expectations for.
The season had promise with Donovan coming back from injury early, adding Takeo Spikes to Jeremiah Trotter at the linebacking corp, a deep, rich and talented offensive line, a deep, rich and talented defensive line, and Brian Westbrook emerging as one of the most talented and explosive weapons in the NFL.
The lone bright spot this season is B-West. He gained
over 200 yards for the team (93 rushing, 46 receiving and 64 on a punt return).
With four plays from the one yard line at the end of the half, I understand why
you would go to him on three of the four plays. But, why though was he off the
field on a second down pass play? Wouldn't he have been a good decoy? Then,
with the game on the line in the fourth quarter inside two minutes and inside
the 20, why was he not fed the ball?
He is one of the few playmakers and you win or lose with the ball in his hands. More good things will happen with him holding the ball, or making defenses adjust to his presence, than anyone else on this team right now.
Coach Vermeil always stressed the value of taking advantage of opportunities. One of my favorite slogans of his is: "An opportunity is worth to a person exactly what his preparation enables him to make it!" Did we ever have opportunities yesterday, and all season, and if they were seized, in spite of everything this team should be driving to the playoffs.
Perhaps this team just isn't that good. We have lost five games to teams who have won twice as many as they have lost (New England, Dallas, Green Bay, Seattle, and the Giants). We have victories against Miami and the Jets. In our other six games against teams at or near .500, we are 3-2. That's not good enough. Even if we are not an elite club and can't compete with the division leaders, playoff teams need to beat the so-so teams. Based strictly on our opponents, the Eagles should be 7-5 if we were better than average. Truth is, and it pains me to say this, it appears we are just average.
But still if we took care of business, capitalized on all the opportunities lost…oh well, that's what's frustrating us all, players, coaches, and fans alike.
Fortunately there are just three teams tied at 6-6 for the final wild card berth. That's just one game ahead of us. Two of those three teams we have beaten (Minnesota and Detroit; the other is Arizona). A wild card berth can go to an average team in the NFC this season. The talk this past week was how we were 5-6 last year also and made a run for the playoffs. We did it by riding B-West. We need to do that again. Still bleeding green! Are you?
Let me say that I do not believe in morale victories. However, what the Eagles were able to accomplish last night was the best I've ever felt about them after a loss.
Going in, most people said they needed to play perfect football and hope the Patriots played below their capabilities for the Eagles to have a chance. Well, they weren't perfect but they had a chance to win it on their final possession.
Let's start with the aggressive nature in which they played and game planned. All three stages played with that swagger. On offense they went for it on 4th and inches in the first quarter and played a game of keep away with great balance early in the game. On special teams they attempted and covered an onsides kick and had Brian Westbrook field the final punt return (why oh why didn't they do that at Green Bay?). And the defense - what can I say about Jim Johnson? From mixing in the three man line, to the aggressive use of Chris Gocong, to the coverage provided by Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown, to the nasty hits from third string safety J.R. Reed, they outplayed their more heralded counterparts.
The players were inspired like I haven't seen in some time. The offensive line gave much needed time to the quarterback. A.J. Feeley was quick and decisive with his reads and was able to overcome a few bad throws. The entire roster contributed in some way: Feeley and Reed with extended playing time due to injury; Greg Lewis with two TDs, Hank Baskett recovering the onsides kick; Darren Howard with a sack of Tom Brady; Correll Buckhalter returning kicks with some moves and passion.
I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking this, but if they can play this way the rest of the season there reason to think this is not a playoff team. Whatever they did this week - did Jeffrey Lurie and Joe Banner take the team to Martha's Vineyard for Thanksgiving? - they need to do it again, each and every week for the rest of the season!
I am excited! Two games in a row. A legitimate winning streak. Add the "Revenge Factor" for this week's game and what a recipe for Thanksgiving! Whether it's Donovan McNabb or A.J. Feeley this week against the Patriots the Eagles have a chance to make their mark and prove they're truly a playoff contender.
If you read this blog all season you already know that I think Brian Westbrook is Superman. No doubt he once again put this Eagles team on his back and carried it to victory. First of all, he came into the game as a medical question mark after missing two days of practice with swelling in his knee. And it's not that he had 32 carries and 148 yards, although those numbers are good, but he carried the ball 24 times for 94 yards after Donovan was injured. He accounted for more than 40% of the Eagles total offense, mostly on the sandy turf I affectionately call Astro Dirt. The Eagles were down 7-3 and he was the only weapon on the field and the Dolphins couldn't corral him.
I hope the Eagles play caller/game planner takes notice. Brian can be fed the ball, and needs to be fed the ball, for this team to win - regardless of who is quarterbacking this team. The entire offensive line dominated throughout the game, especially, the left side of Tra Thomas and Todd Herremans. Of Westbrook's 32 carries, it was four long gainers of 36, 12, 16, and 23 that produced more than half of his yards. That only comes from staying with the run. It also leads to different coverages in passing situations that allowed for quick slants to Kevin Curtis and Jason Avant.
I know that Dolphins are not a very good team but I am satisfied with the way the Eagles played on offense (minus the interceptions)and defense (although I think they missed a few picks). What would this blog be if I didn't point out some special teams play? It's really shaky. If Ted Ginn doesn't return a punt for a touchdown, this game is a blowout. When the Dolphins punted from their one, J.R. Reed or Reno Mahe have to be ready for it. We have to stop hoping that people like Brian Dawkins and Brian Westbrook can sure up the special teams. It's all about attitude baby and setting your hair on fire and causing a wreck!
Let me also point out that the two wins at home featured a halftime ceremony with the Eagles alumni. Maybe the team should celebrate its cherished history more often!
Wow! That was exciting. Just when I thought that the Eagles would be left for dead, they actually came out and surprised me. To me they redeemed themselves and showed the great potential this team has when running on all cylinders. That 4th quarter was the best TEAM football they have played all year in all aspects of the game:
Special Teams, Offense and Defense.
The defense who had a tough time all year forcing turnovers came up with two in a six minute span in the fourth quarter. In the Redskins one drive between the two turnovers, the Eagles defense had perhaps their finest stand to date. When the Eagles offense turned the ball over to the Skins at their 24 with Washington ahead 22-20, it was all I could do not to turn the TV off. But the defense fought off a determined Redskins offense and allowed only a field goal after eight plays.
Down 25-20 the Eagles did the smart thing - they put the ball into the hands of Brian Westbrook. He is not only the Eagles best player but might be the best player in the NFL this year. On the second play of the drive, Brian took a screen pass and weaved his way 57 yards for a score. It was a thing of beauty and many deserve credit. The play call in that situation was correct, Donovan McNabb timed the throw just right and displayed proper touch, Brian caught the ball and turned upfield, and blocks by Shaun Andrews, Jon Runyan, and Reggie Brown (and probably others too) sprung Westbrook for the go ahead TD. Less than a minute later the Eagles got the ball back at the Redskins 10 and Westbrook darted for a quick TD.
Will that play turn around the season the way his punt return in 2003 at the Meadowlands turned that season around? We Eagles fans can only hope. Whether it does or does not, the play was signature Westbrook - originally looking like nothing but a small gain before Brian darts his way to the end zone. After gaining 183 yards and three touchdowns, there is no denying that Brian is one of the elite players in the NFL and he's clearly our MVP.
What I saw against the Skins was a heartbeat again! Some creative game planning with Westbrook in different formations and sets. And, finally, a defense that took on the challenge and exorcized a demon. A win is a win is a win. We who bleed green needed this transfusion!
I don't know what to say. I can't believe it. For the third time this season, they played a nationally televised game against an NFC East opponent and they laid an egg. Their performance in all three phases of the game was embarrassing. I know there was a lot going on around the team this week, but if you can't be inspired on national TV, against the Dallas Cowboys, with the season on the line, you just don't have it.
Lackluster efforts like this are not a result of being uninspired. It's not due to bad coaching. The talent level on this team just isn't where it needs to be. This team is void of players who can play at a high level. How can this happen? Recent drafts have netted few difference makers. The past five drafts have brought Shawn Andrews and Trent Cole as difference makers. Other than those two, who can be counted on to be among the best in the league at their positions? There have been a few good players drafted but only Cole and Andrews have ever shown an ability to dominate. Big things are expected from Kevin Kolb and the rest of the 2007 draft class and they will have to come through in order to maintain the success we have been accustomed to.
I hope that we can turn things around. It's time to let the playmakers make plays. Like last year, we need to ride Brian Westbrook early and often. Let the big guys up front kick some butt and then maybe Donovan McNabb can start using play action passes to his advantage. With Lito Sheppard and Brian Dawkins back, maybe the defense can start forcing some turnovers.
It's got to start this week before it's too late.
Whew! It was nice to get out of Minnesota with a win today. I liked most of what I saw.
Even though he only gained 46 yards on the ground, I like that the playcaller - whoever he may be - stuck with Brian Westbrook. He's the most explosive e player on the team and I like our chances better when he continues to touch the ball.
I think that Donovan McNabb might be turning the corner in his rehab. His recovery from ACL surgery thus far has been nothing short of miraculous but he still hasn't been the player we had come to expect. There were positive signs last week and even more this week. He needs to continue to get better for this season to mean anything.
Two guys that have struggled at times, especially last week, came alive today. Reggie Brown made a few nice catches and surprisingly appeared to be Donovan's go-to guy at times. That will bode well for the future. And Sav Rocca boomed a 65 yard punt and increased his average and net by at least 10-yard from the Bears game.
A game with zero turnovers for the second straight week is a great thing for the offense. However, I'm still waiting for the defense to make a game changing play. As a guy who respects special teams play, you know how I feel about the importance of field position and the defense and special teams need to help the offense while they are still struggling.
Next week is a big one! The Cowboys are coming to Philly for a Sunday night game on national TV. Let's help our Eagles out by being loud and proud at the Linc!
Stunned. This week's game has left me stunned. And, confused as well as frustrated. Is that how you're feeling today.
It is easy on the surface to blame the defense but considering they have only given up one touchdown in the last three weeks I find it hard to blame them. Granted they picked a bad time to give up a 97 yard drive for a touchdown.
The offense shares in the blame. It's no secret that they have had trouble in the Red Zone this season. Against the Bears they reached the end zone just one of four times from the Red Zone (to their credit, they converted the touchdown when they had too late in the fourth quarter). That's not good enough. Worse yet, they had a 16-12 lead with 4:02 left and just two of the next six plays were called runs. I'm confused why would take your most explosive offensive weapon, Brian Westbrook, out of the equation. They ate up just 2:10 of clock time and were forced to punt the ball from just inside midfield. There is a stubbornness that you see in the play calling that baffles and frustrates me.
Ironically, there was some creativity in the special teams this week. Obviously there was a conscious effort to keep the ball away from Devin Hester, the game's most dangerous return man. He was unable to return any punts as Sav Rocca punted the ball out of bounds on each of his four punts. However, his 33.0-yard punting average and 28.0-yard net is not acceptable. Ironically Hester became a potent weapon on offense, making a huge catch on the winning drive. His deep threat potential opened things up underneath for other receivers as Hester ran the "GO" clearing out the middle of the field for those crossing routes.
Let's dismiss each team's touchdowns at the end of the game for a minute - thus removing blame from the defense and kudos for the offense. Each was, by 2007 Eagles standards, an irregularity. Each team entered the game with an underachieving offense and a relatively stout defense. This was going to be a field position game and fortunately for both teams there were zero turnovers. In comparing the drives after kickoff, the Bears started on average at their 34 and the Eagles average start was at their 29. The Bears net punting average was 11 yards better than the Eagles (39 - 28). This hidden yardage was the difference in this game. This yardage is the reason why the Bears were able to attempt five field goals to the Eagles three and the reason the Eagles punted four times to the Bears twice.
I can't believe that Temple has a longer winning streak (3 games) than the Eagles have wins this season (2). Go Owls (and Flyers)! And oh yes, still bleeding green . . . GO EAGLES!
Nice win by the Eagles today against the Jets. Simply put, they did what they needed to do. Nothing fancy but they finally played to their strength - running the football, ball control offense, and taking a few chances down the field in the passing game. Better execution in the red zone would have made this one a blowout.
There was so much I liked about the Eagles third possession except the end result. While it ended with a missed field goal attempt from 41 yards and included a 19 yard end zone run by Brian Westbrook that was called back by penalty, it contained many good things. The drive took 17 plays and covered
57 yards while the Eagles held the ball for 8:23. During the drive, most of the play calling and execution was right on and balanced. There was a great combination of running (7 plays) and passing; they utilized Westbrook, Correll Buckhalter and Tony Hunt; it included three third-and-short conversions, including a couple from Hunt. If they continue to execute as they did on this drive, they will be successful more often than not.
While the second half wasn't as pretty, the offense, defense and special teams did enough to win the game.
It was nice to see that both Kevin Curtis (5-121-1TD) and Reggie Brown (6-89) were able to overcome the scrutiny they have faced in recent weeks.
While the scorecard only shows one catch for 8 yards, L.J. Smith is an important part of the offense and just the threat he provides on the field helps open up the other weapons.
Needless to say the offense received a boost from the return of Smith, Westbrook, and left tackle William "Tra" Thomas. Hopefully a return to health by Brian Dawkins and Lito Sheppard will help give the team a boost for the rest of the season.
What was I watching? I was tuned in to NBC. In was live from New York. And I was watching the Not Ready for Prime Time Players. But it wasn't funny. This was not an old episode of Saturday Night Live. It was more like Sunday Night Dead.
Wow. Eight quarters of primetime football and not one touchdown.
I hope I don't hear excuses for this one. Al Michaels announced that five starters and four Pro Bowlers were missing from the lineup. But all I heard in the spring and summer was how deep this football team was. I'm not putting the blame on Winston Justice who I'm sure did his best as a fill-in at left tackle for an injured William Thomas. Justice was overmatched in his first NFL start by the Giants Osi Umenyiora. But the NFL is a game of adjustments. When Umenyiora had three sacks at halftime it was up to Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg to counter-attack. Maybe put a tight end on the left side to help. Maybe move Todd Herremans to tackle and insert one of the backup guards. Or, perhaps try shorter drops for Donovan with a rhythm passing game.
The Giants showed no respect for play action and just zeroed in on #5.
An NFL record 12 sacks (62 yards), 15 penalties for 132 yards? 43 pass plays for 14 yards? They moved backwards (194 yards) more than they moved forward (190 yards).
Simply put, former Eagles assistant and current Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spanuolo, strategized as if he had the Eagles offensive game plan in his hands and did a number on his former team.
This was supposed to be a day of celebration in Philadelphia. The Phillies captured the NL East race with a great win, sending the New York Mets home for the winter. Then the Eagles were supposed to stomp the Giants on their home turf on national TV. At least for today, Philadelphia is a baseball town.
Wow!
Can I get away with just writing that? I was blown away. What
a great weekend. The 75th Anniversary celebration was awesome. The Eagles
treated us so well. Jeffrey and Christina Lurie were outstanding hosts and Mark
Donovan and his staff put together a wonderful schedule of
events.
However, as a lifelong Eagles fan, nothing can compare to the
show the team put on today. I had the fortune of meeting Donovan McNabb, Brian
Dawkins, Brian Westbrook, Tra Thomas, Jon Runyan, Shawn Andrews and David Akers
on Saturday night when they came to the 75th Anniversary dinner. They appeared
to be focused and ready for the game, but nobody could have expected this. Not
since I was seven years old have the Eagles put up 56 points. Donovan looked
great, Brian Westbrook could be the most exciting player in the NFL, and Kevin
Curtis looked a little like my favorite all-time Eagle, Tommy
McDonald.
Sunday the Eagles played well balanced football on offense and
both the running game and passing game fed off each other. On defense, they
attacked the Lions all day and even thought the Lions made a few plays off the
blitz, Jim Johnson stayed with his game plan.
Overall, I couldn't be
prouder to be an Eagle.
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Let's start off with the good - nobody muffed a punt.
I don't
understand it. What I have seen the last two weeks is not an Andy Reid football
team. Bad penalties, too many drops, players out of position and not knowing
their assignments. Andy Reid is a good coach, he has been very successful and
that's no accident. He is disciplined and pays a great deal of attention to
detail. Why can't those words be used for his football team?
The one
thing I have seen where his team has taken his personality is that they showed
no emotion the past two weeks. Hell, this was the home opener, against a
division rival, on Monday Night Football. When Hank Williams Jr. asked if they
were ready for some football they said NO.
They've dug a hole at 0-2 but
it is not insurmountable. Next week should be a fun week. The Eagles are
honoring the 75th Anniversary team and I'm a part of that. Maybe they'll let
some of us say a few words and get the 2007 group fired up!
Of all units to let me down it was the special teams - you have no idea
how much that hurts me. The Eagles gift wrapped 13 points in a 16-13 beating at
the hands of the Packers.
Green Bay's defense played well enough to win
but their offense was only good enough to muster three field goals, two of which
were handed to them by the Eagles.
The Eagles won the coin toss and
didn't do much with their first possession. After the defense held the Packers
to 3-and-out, Greg Lewis muffed the punt and it was eventually covered by the
Packers in the end zone for a touchdown. A Donovan McNabb interception set up a
Packers field goal for a 10-0 Packers lead. From that point the Eagles offense
played well for the remainder of the half and entered the locker room in a 10-10
tie.
The second half was a different story as the Eagles abandoned their
running game and both offenses struggled. The teams exchanged field goals during
the third quarter. The game was heading for overtime when J.R. Reed mishandled a
punt and gave the ball to Green Bay on the Eagles 31 with under a minute to
play.
This game raises a few questions - why are both your punt
returners first learning how to catch a punt? With under two minutes to go in a
tie game why wasn't Brian Westbrook, perhaps the best returner in the NFL, not
given an opportunity to make a play? At the very least, as the most experienced
punt returner on the roster, why wasn't he asked to secure the football?
Visit Vince's Web site: www.vincepapale.com
