Don't Boo The Birds

Eagles Fall out of First Place with a 20-16 Loss to the Cowboys

2009-11-09T14:26:21Z

Last night's loss to the Cowboys came down to two simple factors that have plagued the Eagles in recent history; the ability to convert third and short yardage opportunities on offense, and the ability to shut down opposing team's tight ends on defense. Against Dallas they failed miserably in both categories and it cost them the game.

Not only couldn't the Birds convert some short yardage plays when they needed them the most, they wasted two timeouts in the second half challenging the spot of the ball that would have given them the first down. While I admit, from the replays it appears that both of these spots did cheat the Eagles out two much needed first downs, getting the refs to actually change the spot is much easier said than done. The decision to challenge both these plays proved to be costly as it left the Birds without any time outs at the end of the game when they needed them the most.

As far as stopping the TE, Jason Whitten once again broke the backs of the Eagles has his five yard catch for a first down with two minutes left in the game was all they needed to run out the clock and seal the win. Whitten ended up with seven receptions for only 43 yards, but it seemed like every one of those catches were for a first down to keep a Cowboy's drive alive.

I will give credit to Tony Romo for coming into a hostile environment like the Linc and managing the game well enough to get the win. I was not overly impressed with the Cowboys as a team as I do believe this loss was more of the Eagles not executing properly in key situations, rather than Dallas completely out playing the Birds.

The second half should prove interesting for both teams as the NFC East is still very much up for grabs. Along with the Giants, all these teams will find a way to make this a very close race with some great wins and dramatic losses over the next eight weeks. Once again these two teams will meet the last Sunday of the season in a game that will most likely have major playoff implications for both. While last night's loss still stings as it was a game they should have won, something tells me January 3rd's game will be the true test of which team will be tops in the NFC East.

The Importance of Beating the Cowboys

2009-11-06T00:53:31Z

As an Eagles' fan this week's match-up against the Cowboys is the kind of game you live for. There is something about playing a team that you really despise with a chance to not only beat them, but knock them out of first place. The icing on the cake is that a win puts your team in control of the division.

This game is extremely important for the Eagles on so many levels. The first and obvious one is that a win not only puts them in first place on their own, it gives them that vital first win over every other team in the division. While it is only the halfway point of the season, leading the East now plays right into the strength of the Eagles as they have been one of the best second half teams in the NFL over the last several seasons.

The second reason a win is so important is the message it sends not only to the rest of the division, but the entire NFC. A win against the Cowboys would establish Philadelphia as one of the elite teams in the NFC along with New Orleans and Minnesota. While it only separates them from the Giants and Cowboys by a single game, it would create a huge psychological edge as they begin the second half of the year. They will have established themselves as the team to beat. Everyone knows that the view from the top is always better than the one looking up. While I realize that they have to play both these teams later in the season on the road, having that first win under your belt gives them a huge advantage heading into those games.

The final reason that beating the Cowboys on Sunday night is so important is for the players themselves. While the Giants victory was great, there is something about beating the Cowboys that provides not only a sense of satisfaction, but real momentum moving forward. Last season the Eagles needed a win against Dallas in the last game of the season just to have a chance to make the playoffs. They not only won the game, they completely destroyed the Cowboys which sparked this team all the way to the NFC Championship.

Eagles Dismantle the Giants 40-17

2009-11-01T20:44:07Z

This was the kind of game I have been waiting to see since the two-a-days at Lehigh back in July. While the Eagles have looked good against some of the dregs of the NFL, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, and Carolina they finally put together the entire package against a team with a winning record. In a game that they had to win, the Birds dominated the Giants in every phase of the game.

Big plays once again drove the offense as along with DeSean Jackson's 54 yard touchdown reception in the second quarter, FB Leonard Weaver had a 41 yards run for the first score of the game, WR Jeremy Maclin caught a 23 yard pass for score at the end of the half, and RB LeSean McCoy sealed the deal with a 66 yard run for a TD in the 4th quarter. It is only week 8 and Maclin and McCoy, both rookies have already established themselves as integral parts of this high powered offense. Donovan McNabb did a great job of directing this masterpiece throwing for 240 yards, 3 TDs and zero interceptions. He even completed a 1 yard pass to himself on a tipped ball.

On defense the Eagles did exactly what they had to do to shut New York's offense down. They pressured Eli Manning into throwing some bad balls resulting in 2 interceptions. This number could have been much higher if a few balls weren't dropped. They never allowed the Giants to get into any kind of rhythm holding them to 141 yards on the ground and only 217 yards in the air.

Special teams were also a big part of this victory. It started on the first play of the game when CB Ellis Hobbs returned the opening kickoff to the 40 yard line giving the Birds excellent field position right off the bat. Akers was a perfect 2/2 on field goals, and the coverage teams won the battle of field position pinning the Giants deep in their own territory when they had to.

While the Giants did shoot themselves in the foot several times today, you cannot take anything away from the Eagles' total team effort in this convincing win. Next on the list are the Dallas Cowboys who are currently tied with the Birds at 5-2 after a 38-17 win over Seattle. If they play next week like they did today, there is no way Dallas will have a chance to win, especially in the friendly confines of the Linc.

Sunday Showdown as the Giants Come to Town

2009-10-29T23:13:00Z

In the first really big game of the season, the Eagles get a chance to grab at least a share of the NFC East lead with a win on Sunday over the division rival New York Giants. There are always fireworks when these two teams meet and this week should not be any different.

The Giants come into this contest having lost their last two games. Two weeks ago they were completely blown out by the New Orleans Saints 48-27 and last week at home they fell apart in the second half losing to the Arizona Cardinals 24-17.

Suddenly after starting 5-0, there are problems popping up on both sides of the ball. The strength of this team has always been up front with their lines but lately that hasn't been the case. After recording 14 sacks in their first 5 games, they have only recorded two in the last two games. Against the Saints they never laid a hand on Drew Brees and against Kurt Warner, one of the most immobile quarterbacks in the league they only got to him twice. On the other side of the ball Eli Manning has been under constant pressure which has led to five turnovers, 4 interceptions and 1 fumble in the two game losing streak. Keeping the pressure on Manning will be one of the keys to winning this game.

The Eagles last two games could be titled "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. After a complete meltdown on the West Coast against the Raiders which was downright ugly, they earned some redemption on Monday night beating the Redskins 27-17 with some big plays on both offense and defense which was good. The bad part is they still are lacking the consistency on offense that is needed to make a serious run at a title. There was definitely a better balance between the pass and the run against Washington, but there were too many missed opportunities as they were unable to put any points on the board in the second half.

We all know that the Eagles tend to play their best football during the second half of the season when it matters the most, but this game is a golden opportunity to grab the lead in the division as opposed to chasing the leader. With Dallas heading into town next week, a win on Sunday gives them a chance to sweep the first game against the entire division. This is something they haven't been able to do since 2004.

Big Plays Pace the Eagles past the Redskins

2009-10-27T19:23:49Z

Thank God for some big plays in last night's Eagles game or we could have had another ugly loss on our hands. While the Birds did play better in their 27-17 win over Washington, despite two big plays they still did not look good on offense.

DeSean Jackson's 67 yard end around run for a touchdown in the first quarter and his 57 yard catch for a touchdown in the second quarter were all the Eagles really needed to win this game as by then they had a 27-7 lead which Washington never seriously threatened. The upsetting aspect of this game was the inconsistency of the offense in the second half. McNabb seemed to be throwing the ball at his receiver's feet all night long and for the second week in a row did not seem comfortable in the pocket. McNabb was only sacked three times and did not turn the ball over, but his completion percentage was only 60% going 15 for 25 for 156 yards. He will need a better performance than that to get a win this week over the visiting N.Y.Giants.

The good news for the offense, was a much better balance between the passing (26 attempts) and running ( 22 attempts) play mix. This would have probably been even better if RB Brian Westbrook didn't get knocked out early in the game with a concussion. In his place, rookie LeSean McCoy ran for only 37 yards on 14 attempts. The Eagles have to stay committed to the run especially against teams like New York and Dallas who they face over the next two weeks.

Defensive Coordinator Sean McDermott dialed up the proper level of heat to wreak havoc on Redskin QB Jason Campbell. Newly acquired LB Will Witherspoon was immediately thrown into the mix and had a major impact. He intercepted a tipped ball at the line of scrimmage and returned it for a touchdown, then later caused a fumble that led to a field goal. They will have to be able to do the same thing this week against Eli Manning, as he has been turning the ball over in bunches his last two games when put under pressure.

The bottom line is a win is a win in this league, especially against a divisional opponent. It moves the Eagles to 4-2 on the year with a chance to move into first place with a win on Sunday. With the Giants coming off of two straight losses, something tells me they are going have to play a lot better than they did on Monday night to pull this off.

NFC EAST PREVIEW

2009-10-25T17:02:24Z

While the Eagles have the day off as the await their Monday night match up against the Redskins, the two other teams in the east are in action today. The Cowboys host the Falcons in a 4:25 P.M. start while Arizona travels to the Meadowlands to play the Giants in tonight's game.

This could be a make or break game for the Cowboys as they are currently 3-2, but have yet to show that they are one of the better teams in the NFC. They have been very inconsistent on offense as QB Tony Romo has yet to really click with his receiving corps. WR Roy Williams has not lived up to the expectations of replacing Terrell Owens as the #1 receiver. Miles Austin had a huge game last week against the Chiefs, but it is way too early to say whether or not he will be a factor in this offense. If they have any hope of beating the Falcons they will have to get more prodution from their running game. RB Marion Barber, who has been hampered with a hamstring injury should be ready to go which will definitely help. The Cowboy's defense has also been an area of concern so far this season. They are currently ranked 22th overall and 27th against the pass giving up an average of 251 yards per game.

The 5-1 Giants are still reeling after getting blown of the field by the Saints last week in a 48- 27 rout which was their first loss of the season. Their #1 ranked defense was torched by New Orleans for 369 yards in the air in a game that they never laid a hand on QB Drew Brees as he had all day to throw. They cannot afford to let Cardinal's QB Kurt Warner have the same luxury or the results could be the same. Offensively, the Giants should have no trouble moving the ball against Arizona's defense in the air, as the Cardinals are ranked 31st in passing yards allowed. Running the ball against this team could be another story as Arizona is actually ranked 1st in the league against the run. While the Giants are favored by over a touchdown in this game, they do not want to get caught looking ahead to next week's big showdown with the Eagles.

Eagles vs. Redskins The Tale of the Tape

2009-10-21T18:12:13Z

Statistics are a vital aspect of any sport. They provide a unit of measure by which we can evaluate performance to make sense of the past as well as help predict what might happen in the future. Here is a breakdown of all the vital statistics, or what I like to refer to as "the tale of the tape" for Monday night's game between the Eagles and the Redskins.

Offense

Total Yards per Game: Philadelphia- 352 Rank-12th

Washington- 294 Rank-23rd

Passing Yards per Game: Philadelphia- 252 Rank-12th

Washington- 195 Rank-20th

Rushing Yards per Game: Philadelphia-100 Rank-20th

Washington- 99 Rank-23rd

Points per Game: Philadelphia- 27 Rank-9th

Washington- 13 Rank-29th

Defense

Total Yards Allowed per Game: Philadelphia- 283 Rank-4th

Washington- 287 Rank-5th

Passing Yards Allowed per Game: Philadelphia- 179 Rank-5th

Washington- 169 Rank-3rd

Rushing Yards Allowed per Game: Philadelphia- 104 Rank-15th

Washington- 118 Rank- 22nd

Total Points Allowed per Game: Philadelphia- 20 Rank-11th

Washington- 16 Rank-8th

After reviewing these numbers you can see that while the Eagles are fairly balanced between their offense and defensive in terms of overall rank, the Redskins defense is the unquestionable strength of this team. If you want to attack their strength it should also be noted that there is quite a disparity between Washington's pass defense and their run defense in terms of yards allowed per game as was the case last week with the Raiders.

While I am certainly not sitting in on the game plan strategy meetings this week, I would think that somebody on the offensive coaching staff might suggest that they should should try and run the ball more than 14 times this Monday night. Only time will tell if this actually happens, but you know what they say, "numbers don't lie."

What went wrong against the Raiders

2009-10-20T20:07:52Z

While I'm still not over the Eagles stunning loss to the Oakland Raiders, I finally had the courage to take a look back to try and figure out what went so horribly wrong with this game. There were some obvious factors that may have contributed to this loss. First, the Birds had to travel cross country and may have still be suffering from some jet lag. Second, they may have got caught reading their own press clippings after wins over the 0-6 Buccaneers and the 1-5 Chiefs. Or finally, maybe this was their designated one game a year that they throw away against a vastly inferior opponent. Whatever the case I knew I had to dig deeper to get better answers than these.

I first started with the defense to see if their effort was the primary cause of this loss. Given the fact that the held the Raiders to 13 points, and only 3 in the second half it hardly would seem to be their fault. Granted, they did give up one huge pass play in the first quarter when Raider QB JaMarcus Russell hit TE Zach Miller for an 86 yrad touchdown that should have been no more than a 15 yard gain if Jeramiah Trotter would have made the tackle, but from that point they basically shut Oakland's offense down.

Special Teams have sometimes been the culprit in these types of losses, but there was nothing that stood out that would let me pin this mess on them. David Akers did miss two field goals which would have probably been enough points to win this game, so I guess you could blame him, but there is no way this game should have come down to that so I am letting him off the hook.

Then I turned to the offense and sudddenly it all became very clear why the Eagles lost this game; a poor game plan coupled with poor execution. First the game plan; the Raiders came into this game ranked 31st against the run and 15th against the pass, yet Andy Reid decided to throw the ball 46 times and run it 14. When they did run the ball, they averaged 4.8 yards per carry but I guess that wasn't good enough so they completetly abandoned it and threw the ball almost every chance they could. Now lets take a look at the offensive execution. I do not want to place the bulk of the blame on Donovan McNabb, but his 22 completions on 46 attempts adds up to a 48% completion percentage which is only slightly better than Russells was for the entire season. It certainly didn't help when LT Jason Peters left the game with a knee injury, as McNabb was sacked six times with him out of the lineup. You would think that would give you even more reason to run the ball in a game that you never trailed by more than a touchdown.

We have all seen games like this in the past from Reid and Co. where you just have to sit back and scratch your head as you swear the coaches in the box are watching a completely different game than you. You would think if a bunch of sterno bum fans like us could figure this out, the guys that get paid big bucks would be able to as well.

It is on to the Redskins on Monday night and the good news is they have far more problems that the Eagles do. Something tells me we will see a much more balanced offensive attack against Washington as losses like this have a way of forcing you to get back to basics.

Marginalizing the QB

2009-09-20T05:30:58Z

Heading into their home opener against the Saints as a pick-em, after a 38-10 thrashing of the Panthers on the road in week one, was not what I was expecting this early in the season. The oddsmakers are assuming Donovan McNabb will not be playing, as am I. It's too early in the season to put McNabb out there with a debilitating injury and the risk of making it worse. I'll be shocked if Kevin Kolb isn't under center to start the game tomorrow. After the jump, we'll talk about what this means.
]]> In a nutshell, the Eagles should do everything in their power to make sure Kolb doesn't win or lose this game for them. I expect them to take a shot down the field early, possibly on the first play, definitely in the first quarter, just to show New Orleans they're willing to stretch the field. Probably DeSean down the sideline on play that will either be a big gainer or an incompletion. After the dust has settled, either way, we should be in for a heavy dose of Brian Westbrook.

I'm expecting 25+ touches for Westbrook, a ton of runs to the left side behind Jason Peters, and a smattering of bubble screens, quick-hitters to Celek over the middle and a healthy dose of high-percentage passes for Kolb. They're going to look to control the clock, minimize the risk on offense and lean on their defense to batter Drew Brees and stuff Mike Bell in the running game.

The key is going to be the early part of the game. If the Eagles can take an early lead, expect them to be able to run the entire game with this strategy. If the Saints jump out early by more than one score, things could go sideways quickly, and we could see Jeff Garcia before the day is out.

The Eagles are an extremely talented team, they weren't dependent on McNabb to be a good team, a team that beat the likes of the Saints (especially at home). There will be times when they absolutely need a huge game from McNabb (or whoever their quarterback is at the time) to pull out a win. I don't see this as one of those.

I'm looking forward to seeing a couple of things. Number one, how will Asante and Sheldon handle Brees. The Eagles need their corners to continue to make plays. Speaking of which, I'm really looking forward to another hit like this one on Reggie Bush, who is basically a slot receiver at this point for New Orleans. He only carried the ball 3 times in week one.

Ready To Fly?

2009-09-13T06:16:47Z

On the eve of opening day, I find myself awake thinking about the 2009 Philadelphia Eagles. Many, many analysts have crowned the Eagles as the class of the NFC, which is neither here nor there as far as my excitement level goes. But their love for the Birds does underscore exactly how short memories are among the pundits. The Eagles needed an absolute miracle to get into the playoffs last year. Had one ball bounced the wrong way, Donovan McNabb may have been booed out of the city. As it stands, they lost to an inferior team in the NFC Championship game. The team has experienced more turnover from last year to this than at any time since their epic run capped in a trip to the Super Bowl in 2004, yet despite this turmoil they're heading into the season as favorites? In my eyes, they always enter the season as favorites, but do they really deserve the accolades from "objective" observers? We'll discuss after the jump.
]]> Let's start with what's changed: Brian Dawkins, the heart and soul of this entire team, will be suiting up for the Denver Broncos. No, the Eagles shouldn't have matched that ridiculous contract, but that doesn't mean he won't be missed. Both offensive tackles, gone. Peters is a clear upgrade over William nee Tra Thomas, but Runyan never missed a game for the Eagles and Shawn Andrews just cannot find his way onto the field. Winston Justice will be starting at right tackle tomorrow, that does not seem like an improvement to me. Herremans is out as well, so I think it's pretty safe to say the offensive line is in shambles. Even at full strength I'm not sure how they'd perform. Too many new faces, not enough reps as a group in the preseason. It's a recipe for disaster.

For my money, though, the player turnover is really an afterthought. The thing that worries me most about the Birds is the loss of Jim Johnson. Not since Buddy Ryan has one man who didn't even step on the field struck such fear into the hearts of quarterbacks. Johnson was an evil genius with his exotic blitz schemes and relentless, fearless, peerless attack on opposing QBs and offensive lines. Everyone hopes Sean McDermott will carry on in JJ's footsteps, but does he have nerves of steel like Johnson did? In a key third-and-ten situation will he send the house after Jake Delhomme and trust that Brown and Asante will stick to their men like glue on the outside? Johnson had the guts of a burglar and I don't think anyone has any idea exactly how much he's going to be missed.

Now that I've got the pessimistic nonsense out of the way, let's talk for a second about this offense. After McNabb's rebirth (following his benching) last season, and his playoff near-heroics, he said bluntly this team needed more weapons. They responded by bringing in another burner on the outside (Maclin), a Westbrook clone (McCoy) and probably the biggest wild card in the league (Vick, although he won't be playing tomorrow). They augmented all that speed with a fullback who can actually play the position (Leonard Weaver). Here's a quote from Weaver:

"My first obligation is to block, (and) my second obligation is to block," Weaver said.

That's the type of guy I want leading me into the pile on third-and-one.

But I digress. The point is, the Eagles can, and will, put more speed on the field than defenses can account for. Picture this, it's week 3, 2nd and 5, the Eagles finally get Herremans and Andrews back, their O-line is intact. They come out with Maclin and DeSean on the outside, Vick in the slot, Westbrook and McCoy as split backs. How can you possibly account for that lineup as a defense? It's just not possible, you can't get enough speed on the field to match up with everyone. Add in the threat of a trick play involving Vick and you've got a recipe for disaster.

That's what I'm really waiting for, but it's still a couple of weeks away. Tomorrow, I'm going to have my eye on a couple of things. The first is Julius Peppers. When he lines on as the right end, he'll be going head-to-head with the Eagles biggest acquisition of the offseason, Jason Peters. Peters is going to have a chance to earn his money right from the first snap and I want to see how he handles an elite edge rusher. I also want to see Peter dole out some punishment on Peppers in the running game. Peter vs. Peppers is intriguing to me, but if/when Peppers lines up on the opposite side, I'm downright scared. Winston Justice played probably the worst game I've ever seen at offensive tackle against the Giants. It would be foolish for the Panthers to exclusively line Peppers up opposite a pro bowl tackle when such a question mark is manning the opposite side. Whenever Peppers is on the defense's left end, someone needs to be there to help Justice, or maybe they need to roll Donovan to his left, away from the pressure.

The defensive match-up I'm waiting for is Asante vs. Steve Smith. Honestly, I'm expecting at least one pick from Asante. I think what separates him from the other elite corners in the league is his brain. He's got the physical skills to stick with anyone, but he seems to out-think QBs and jump routes better than anyone. Smith will make him pay if he's even a split-second late on one of those outs. Should be an exciting matchup.

Finally, even with all the change and tumult, this team only goes as far as Donovan McNabb's arm and Brian Westbrook's legs take them. McNabb was 6-2 with simply amazing numbers after Thanksgiving last season. Before Thanksgiving he was 5-5-1 and looked like he was cooked. Is he finally fully recovered from all the injuries? How much gas is left in the tank, even if he is healthy? Can he survive another QB controversy, because you know we won't survive the season without several articles calling for Vick to be the starting QB? These are all questions for the long term. In the short term, I just want to see if McNabb is ready. Openers have been a mixed bag throughout his career. In fact, if you look back through his game logs, you'll see that in even years, he's started strong, odd years he's been horrible. Let's hope that trend ends tomorrow.

And Brian Westbrook. Simply put, he's the best running back in the NFL. The Eagles desperately need him to be healthy, and they need to proactively game plan to keep him that way. Maximize the impact of his touches, get him off the field when games are decided. Use him as a decoy. They need him to be on the field when the playoffs start, with as much left in the tank as possible. The immediate question is whether he's at 100% now, as the season begins. Will he look a step faster than everyone else on the field when he gets the ball tomorrow? I hope so, but it really doesn't matter. What matters is whether he's 100% when they play their first playoff game. Getting there without having to ride on his back all season long will be the key.

Well, tip off is less than 12 hours away, I don't know about you, but I'm giddy. Should I be? I say yes, despite it all, opening day is like Christmas and your birthday all rolled into one, there's no reason not to be juiced.

Training Camp Darling 2009!

2009-07-17T04:31:42Z

TRAINING CAMP DARLING 2009

Born from the loins of Na Brown and Gari Scott, the training camp darling ("TCD") is a man that will be the focus of fascination, speculation, and, ultimately self-flagellation. Since my reign formerly at the Eagle Scout Blog and now at DBTB we've had the following TCDs grace our collective consciousness:

2005: Ryan Moats

2006: Hank Baskett

2007: Brent Celek

2008: Lorenzo Booker

Now, there are many that caught the imagination of the local media (just doing their part) who weaved the prose that would inspire the excessive adulation of the fanbase. We had tight end Lee Vickers, and wide receivers Justin Jenkins, and Bill Sampy. We had wide receiver Darnerien McCants catching bombs from the hand of Timmy Chang. Tight end Andy Thorn connecting with former Delaware stallion Andy Hall. And although heavily weighted towards the wide receiver and tight end positions, the defense had their fill with Dedrick Roper and the renowned Tank Daniels. Hell, even Jerome McDougle, made a run at the 2008 TCD title. Anything can happen at Lehigh in July. Blind desperation for anything Eagle-related after 6 months of football sobriety tends to skew the collective judgment of the base - myself included.

Evidence of overly excessive adulation regarding last year's TCD:

Once again, Lorenzo Booker plays with the first team, split out wide, opposite Kevin Curtis, with Reggie Brown in the slot. On this play, Booker starts in motion and hooks back behind McNabb, and a reverse is feigned. McNabb hands the ball to Correll Buckhalter, who explodes up the middle. Just a few plays later, the reverse to Booker is executed. If these early, early practices are any sign, Booker will be all over the field this year.

ALL OVER THE DAMN FIELD! THREE HEADED MONSTER RETURNS! Thank you Dave Spadaro. Even SI.com's Peter King got in on the act writing that Booker could be the next "Ryan Grant lightning-in-a-bottle." Well, Ryan Grant gained over 1,200 yards on the ground last year. Lorenzo Booker gained 53. It was close, but Grant took it by a nose.

My question to you is - who will become the official Training Camp Darling of 2009?

The Tote Board

1-1 - Cornelius Ingram - TE - 5^th Round Pick, Florida

4-1 - Brandon Gibson - WR - 6^th Round Pick, Washington State

6-1 - Byron Parker - S - FA acquisition - Toronto Argonauts

6-1 - Macho Harris - CB/S - 5^th Round Pick, Virginia Tech

10-1 - Josh Gaines - DE - UDFA - Penn State

Let's take the nominations one by one with the respective odds of each becoming TCD 2009 (Odds signify nothing really - do you have to make to the squad to be a true TCD? Recent history says yes). Top picks are not eligible for nomination (Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy) nor are green but touted prospects that are expected to perform well (Quintin Demps, Trevor Laws). On to the nominees:

Cornelius Ingram - Tight End - Odds: 1-1 (Even bet)

I almost excluded Ingram from this list because he currently carries the mantle of Post Draft Darling 2009. Expectation levels for the man are already off the charts. His college coach, Urban Meyer, head of the "C.I." cheerleading brigade helped stir up the fervor. Meyer on Ingram:

"He's a freak - and I say that respectfully, he's not normal. He's a big, great-looking athlete who can do phenomenal things. Coach [Andy] Reid was very thorough and very detailed in looking at this guy. We talked a lot about Cornelius and we agreed he can be a matchup nightmare in the NFL."

Most fans look for big, great-looking guys who can do phenomenal things [Jeff Garcia grinning fabulously and nodding...giggling]. What Ingram has going for him is the lack of depth at the tight end position. I mean, he's got to beat out Matt Schobel to make the roster. That guy is a human suckfest. I heard Football Outsiders just invented a metric that concluded Schobel could surpass Reno Mahe as the most worthless player to continually make an NFL roster over a four year period. Too bad Mahe made the team for FIVE years in a row (sigh).

So yeah, Ingram is the leader in the clubhouse. The major criticism of Ingram is his blocking resume. Ingram was rarely asked to block at Florida and given his pedigree as a receiving tight end, he'll likely need work at the NFL level. Is everyone ready for the following stories from the local beat men come August:

"Ingram out to prove his blocking prowess" - Phil Sheridan

"Pass catching not a problem for Ingram, but blocking may need work" - Paul Domowitch

"Cornelius Ingram, the Anthony Munoz of tight ends" - Dave Spadaro

But blocking aside, there is the little reported, but insanely intriguing skill set that Cornelius Ingram is keeping from us - his history behind center.

Cornelius Ingram came to Florida as 2004's 3^rd best quarterback recruit in the nation and the 3^rd best athlete in general. Some propaganda from Ingram's high school coach that could make Dave Spadaro blush:

"He's as physically talented a kid as I've seen in many, many years," Johnson said. "If you look at him right now, it's like a miniature Michael Vick, except he's not left-handed. That's what every coach winds up telling me. He's a kid who is comfortable throwing the ball in the pocket. He can throw it 65 yards on the fly. He's got great presence about him. He can sense pressure and get himself out of trouble when the protection breaks down. He's such a big kid, he doesn't mind running with it."

Quarterback controversy! Jack McCaffery (Delco Times) and Angelo Cataldi (Clowncar Inc.) opinion pieces reveal:

"Ingram should be the starting QB. McNabb is a choke. Kolb is a bust."

Or maybe just an insanely intriguing Wildcat option. I contend that Andy Reid might run the first quadruple reverse pass in NFL history. Empty backfield. Trips left - Jackson outside, McCoy, Ingram in the slot, with Maclin on the outside right, Westbrook on his inside. McNabb hands to Maclin who hands to McCoy who hands to Westbrook who hands to Ingram. Ingram plants his back foot and throws the ball 65-yards in the air (across his body) to DeSean Jackson for the touchdown. Don't worry about the blocking, the play only takes 42 seconds to develop, but that irrational exuberance is what drives the Training Camp Darling sweepstakes!

Brandon Gibson - Wide Receiver - Odds: 4-1

Gibson is the very definition of a sleeper. Going into his senior season, NFL Draft Scout had Gibson ranked as the 4^th best receiver, and 41^st best player overall in the 2009 draft. His junior line was an impressive, 67 receptions for 1,180 yards, and 9 TDs. Gibson decided to head back to Washington State as a senior to finish what he started. Big mistake...biiiiiiggggggg mistake. Four quarterbacks later, Gibson's senior line declined to a pedestrian 57 receptions for 673 yards, and 2 scores. Ouch. After reading his scouting report, Gibson seems comparable in size and physicality to someone like Jason Avant. However, NFL Draft Scout had higher aspirations for the man:

Compares to: MUHSIN MUHAMMAD, Carolina -- Gibson has become a capable underneath receiver and like Muhammad, he relies on his weave and savvy, rather than explosion, to gain positive yardage after the catch. He shows good aggression battling for the ball in a crowd, but did struggle lined wide in the spread offense, making a slot position a better fit for him at the NFL level.

MOOOOOOSE!!!!!!

So just go ahead and project Gibson as a potential 10,000 yard, 60+ TD career wide receiver. Now, I know the wide receiver corps is deeper than any we've seen during the Andrew Reid era, but that shouldn't temper any enthusiasm. Once Gibson makes a couple one-handed acrobatic catches over third teamers Trae Williams and Dimitri Patterson, the Lehigh Valley hills will be alive with the sound of unrealistic expectation.

Byron Parker - Safety - Odds: 6-1

Some background (most are already aware of Parker's basketball exploits - 2003 NCAA Slam Dunk Champion):

Parker has been in camps with Jacksonville (2004) and Dallas (2006) but has yet to make an NFL squad. Up in french fry and gravy-land, Parker was smashing Canadian Football League records for interception return yardage (18 interceptions with 6 returned for TDs in 3 seasons). Parker also reportedly runs a 4.3 40-yard dash, and has registered a 43-inch vertical leap. In addition, the guy's got a phenomenal work ethic, exemplified by this quote in the official Philadelphia Eagles media guide (regarding his first job as a landscaper):

"Don't ever do that. You have to wake up way too early in the morning!"

A real go-getter that Byron Parker. Parker's vibrant history is a training camp writer's wet dream - thus coverage of the man will come hot and heavy (and sticky!) in early August. Couple that advantage with the competition at the free safety spot and you just may have a TCD perfect storm.

Victor "Macho" Harris - Safety/Cornerback - Odds: 6-1

You think Byron Parker has an interesting back story? Mere tedium compared to Macho Harris's times gone by. While hosting Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer for a recruiting visit, a grease fire broke out in the Harris kitchen and Macho suffered 3^rd degree burns in his effort to put out the flames (Harris received skin grafts). Ten days later on Christmas Day, Harris's mother collapsed and died after suffering a brain aneurism.

Jesus. You said it.

Prep Star had Harris ranked as the 2^nd best college recruit in the country. Rivals.com ranked him one spot lower at 3^rd. Harris entered Virginia Tech as an "athlete" and made his mark as a defensive back and kick returner. Once Harris cracked the starting lineup as a sophomore he never looked back. Harris registered 4 interceptions in 06', 5 interceptions in 07', and 6 interceptions in 08'. Of those 15 picks, Harris returned 4 of them for touchdowns. Add a 100-yard kickoff return to the mix and you've got one of the biggest playmakers in the 2009 draft.

So the knock on Macho is that his timed speed is a tad slow and he's defensive back without a true position (safety or corner?). Who cares! Harris is a football player dammit! Given his history as a playmaker and a fierce hitter, Harris has a fighting chance to capture the imagination of the collective mind at Lehigh.

Josh Gaines - Defensive End - Odds: 10-1

Gaines went to Penn State. Homers unite!

Jack Ike in court today

2009-07-07T15:42:08Z

Jack Ike gets his day in court today. If you didn't know, Ike has pending charges for a criminal trespass in which he and his brother allegedly attempted to steal and Xbox. And no, it wasn't an XBox 360, but a straight up old school XBox. This brings up some serious concerns about his judgment, or lack thereof. Next thing we know he'll be plotting a Sega Genesis or Neo Geo heist.

______________________________

Speaking of video games, attention all losers (of which I am one). The Madden ratings were released for the NFC East last week. The Birds were the second ranked team behind the G-men.

1. Giants (89 points)

2. Birds (88 points)

3. Cowgirls (85 points)

4. Redskins (79 points)

You can download the the individual player-by-player rankings as an Excel spreadsheet through this link. Women will find you instantly fascinating at the prospect of a Madden player ranking converstation. Keep that one in your back pocket for Friday night. You're welcome.

NFL Moneyball - Digging Deeper

2009-07-01T04:00:13Z

Jason La Canfora of NFL.com put together a list of actual dollars spent on salary by each NFL team from 2004 through 2008. The Dallas Cowboys were first at $566 million. The Colts were fourth at $532 million. The Steelers, Patriots, Giants, and Eagles ranked eighth ($516m), tenth ($513m), nineteenth ($497m), and twentieth ($495m), respectively. The Cowboys spent the most money and have nary a playoff victory to show for their excesses. The Chargers spent the 26th most ($485m) and have three playoff victories. What can be learned from such a list? Money isn't everything - shrewd decision making is a more important indicator of success. Let's take a look at the numbers in terms of what really matters (Joe Banner just bookmarked this post under his porn folder).

Dollars Spent Per Win

In terms of overall regular season efficiency, the Birds rank an impressive 8th; second amongst NFC teams behind only the New York Giants. What really jumps out here are the number of teams that have spent over the $500 million threshold from the Saints (23rd) on down. That's some horrifically inefficient spending. In fact, the top 10 teams in the league spent an average of $495.98 million over the five year period, while the bottom 10 teams spent an average of $510.71 million. The middle 12 spent an average of $501.30 million. Talk about diminishing returns. Now let's look at the real indicator of success - postseason accomplishment.

Dollars Spent Per Postseason Victory

Of the Super Bowl Champions over the past five years, only the New York Giants have spent under that $500 million threshold. So it seems money does buy happiness. The most successful teams, the Patriots and the Steelers have spent an average of $515.00 million. Those second tier teams with 4+ postseason victories over the five year period averaged an expenditure of $519.64 million. The third tier squads (2 to 3 postseason victories) averaged $501.89 million and the fourth tier teams averaged $501.45 million. The teams without a playoff victory over the five year span (here's looking at you Cowgirls!) spent an average of $495.95 million.

So what does all of this mean? It's not really clear to me actually. Without spending hours on end studying each team's salary structure, I really don't think you can make any concrete conclusions (Looking at you beat writers, and other salaried writers who do this type of thing as their full-time jobs). I'll take a stab though.

1. The best teams have productive franchise players who they've awarded huge contracts over this defined 2004-2008 timeframe. Manning signed a $99 million dollar deal in 2004. Brady signed a $60 million dollar deal in 2005. Roethlisberger signed a $102 million dollar deal is 2008. If you remember, McNabb signed his deal back in 2002. If you're defining a period of time, these franchise contracts have large implications on these aggregate numbers. For example, Brady made $51 million bucks from 2004-2008, Manning made $68 million, and McNabb made $32 million. Hell, Mike Vick was due $44 million over the same time period. So imagine McNabb was looking at a new, market-level deal in 2005, the Birds would likely be right at that $515 million number the Patriots and Steelers have bracketed. Thus, if you've got a roster with one or more franchise players with a contract due in such a defined timeframe, you'll likely rank amongst the top teams on this list. Look at Seattle - in 2005 they re-signed Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander to massive contracts, only to be followed in 2006 with a new deal for Walter Jones. No wonder they rank number two overall - but look at those deals now - they were bad decisions.

2. Why do some of these bad teams have high rankings? Inefficient spending. Bad teams with top 5 draft picks who turn out to be busts, thus a bad team commits a disproportionate level of salary to a player who can't play. To make up for the top heavy spending they snatch up average veteran players at average to below average deals to round out their rosters. The Raiders paid JaMarcus Russell, Robert Gallery, and Darren McFadden huge money. For what exactly? The Lions went Joey Harrington (3rd overall), Charles Rogers (2nd overall), Roy Williams (7th overall) and Mike Williams (10th overall). Ouch. These teams continue to suck because they pay the wrong players the right money and the right players, well, they tend to move on.

3. Overspending tends to snowball - lack of flexibility in the interim, with less consistency from year to year. In 2006 the Washington Redskins guaranteed over $40 million to Adam Archuleta, Andre Carter, Brandon Lloyd, and Antwaan Randle El. Only Randle El and Carter remain on the team and neither player has consistently excelled. I think this is less of argument because of the ever expanding salary cap.

If anything, the Birds are an efficient team. They are one of the elite teams that are always in the mix for the top end free agent. They are not cheap. Do they underpay players based on below market long term deals offered and accepted by younger players? Yes, but who's signing their names on those contracts? Do the Birds jettison players based on age which tend to snowball into PR disasters? Sure, but we all know who usually comes out on top on those deals. The NFL is less about money and more about decision making. Just look at those Washington Redskins. I love to hear some alternate theories from the readership.

[Cue Joe Banner sexy-time explosion]

Tuesday Evening Lincs

2009-06-23T21:54:34Z

Football Outsiders previews the 2009 New York Giants. Looks like their FO.com's favorite to win the division. Say it ain't so.

ESPN.com puts Troy Polumalu ahead of Brian Dawkins on its all-decade team at safety. Derek at Iggles Blog takes exception.

David Akers is the 53rd best kicker in the history of the NFL says the Pro Football Reference Blog.

The Cowboys' Leonard Davis, Marc Colombo, and Corey Procter have inked a record contract for their band Free Reign. From the looks of their MySpace page they should have named the band, Four Guys in the Gayest T-Shirts I've Ever Seen. Full disclosure here, I've never been a big metal guy. Sure I rocked some Helmet and a little Melvins in high school but I'm no metal aficionado. Cowboys or no Cowboys, I find their sound terribly brutal. Metal with sensitive singsongy vocals just makes me want to stab both of my eardrums with a number two pencil.

Spadaro thinks there may be a punting controversy (how exciting!) come training camp. The challenger, ex-49er Ken Parrish looks to challenge Sav Rocca. Parrish played his college ball at East Stroudsburg, and was known by his coach as "The Real Estate Agent."

So Jason Peters had a bad season in 2009..right?....ESPN's KC Joyner begs to differ. According to Joyner's numbers, Peters notched the highest POA success rate of any tackle in the AFC East last season.

Cornelius Ingram has been eating cheesesteaks everyday since coming to Philadelphia, LeSean McCoy has an unhealthy obsession with 50 Cent, and other tidbits D-Gunn discovers about the Birds' rookies:

Single game tickets

2009-06-16T14:58:39Z

I'm sure this post will serve to piss off 97% of the readership who don't possess season tickets (neither do I), but I got through this morning for 4 tickets to the Chiefs game.

My strategy?

1. Pick the worst game on the schedule (least demand).

2. Create an online ticketmaster account with all relevant billing information at the ready.

3. Refresh the page from 9:58 until they go on sale.

4. If you get through, don't even look at the cost/seating chart/section. You don't have time for such details.

5. Purchase.

Four tickets to see Matt Cassell fail behind a non-Patriots offensive line. See everyone in the parking lot at 6am sharp.

Anyone else have any luck?