To make this is even better, the geniuses that run the Philadelphia Eagles have decided that  Marlin Jackson will not only be trying to come back from a major knee injury, but he will also be playing a new position. Marlin Jackson spent his first five years in the NFL playing cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts, but he will be asked to play free safety for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Philadelphia Eagles general manager, Howie Roseman, confirmed that the Eagles signed Marlin Jackson to a two-year contract and that he will compete with Macho Harris and Quintin Demps for the starting free safety job in 2010.

“We are going to start him out at free safety,” Roseman said. “He has the versatility to play nickel and line up in the slot. He has some size (6-0, 196 pounds). He’s a good football player so we’re going to get him healthy, get him right and then go from there.”

Holy crap. There are so many things wrong with this that I don’t know where to begin. Let’s start with the obvious. The Philadelphia Eagles are a bunch of cheap idiots. I guess they didn’t learn anything about signing players coming off of ACL surgery with offensive lineman Stacy Andrews and tight end Cornelius Ingram. Andrews hardly played in his first year with the Eagles in 2009, and was forced to take a pay cut this off-season, and Ingram was drafted by the Eagles in the 2009 draft after a knee injury in college. Did I mention that Ingram injured the same exact knee in training camp last year? Yeah, what could possibly go wrong with this Marlin Jackson signing?

Jackson missed 11 games in 2008 with a torn ACL in his right knee. Then he missed all but the first four games last season when he tore the ACL in his left knee. He literally doesn’t have a leg to stand on. The Colts had so little faith in his ability to recover from these injuries that they did not even bother to tender Jackson, thereby making him an unrestricted free agent.

Now let’s consider the fact that the Philadelphia Eagles are going to ask him to change positions. Marlin  Jackson was a very good cornerback during the rare occasions that he was healthy during his five-year NFL career, but he has never played safety in the NFL.

The only time Jackson played safety was during one season at Michigan. The Wolverines were thin at safety going into his junior year so then-head coach Lloyd Carr asked Jackson to switch positions. Jackson did it, but struggled mightily.

Maybe they’re just trying to make Jason Avant happy after they signed him to a new contract, by signing his old college teammate. They tried that once before when they signed Jason Peters to baby-sit his old college roommate Shawn Andrews last year. Oh wait, that didn’t work out so well did it? Oh well, I’m sure it will work out better this time.

I’m not necessarily saying that Marlin Jackson can’t make the switch to safety, but why couldn’t the Eagles sign somebody who has actually played safety in the NFL? Is that really too much to ask of a team that is making me pay for half of my season tickets right about… now?

This reminds me of other instances where Andy Reid figured any player could play a new position in his perfect offensive machine. Anybody remember defensive tackle, Dan Klecko, being converted into a fullback, then back to DT, then back to FB again? How about the season where Reid cut Jeremy Bloom at the end of training camp, which left him without a single player on the roster who had ever fielded a punt in the NFL? The Packers certainly remember that game as the gift win the Eagles gave them due to numerous fumbled punts.

Roseman called the signing a “risk-reward” move. No Howie, this is a “the Eagles are cheap bastards” move. The contract maxes out at $6 million if Jackson hits every incentive. He won’t do that coming off the surgery. The Philadelphia Eagles know that, too.

The Eagles signed Marlin Jackson because he was the best player available at THEIR price. Jackson had no leverage because he’s coming off injury. And the Eagles value their draft picks like Donald Trump values that comb-over of his. That means they weren’t going to sign any restricted free agents that would have cost them one of their precious draft picks.

This is the best Eagles fans can hope for. Unfortunately it’s just more of the same crap that has left the Eagles without a championship in Andy Reid’s eleven years with the team. At least the Eagles are pumping money back into the local economy by keeping the local medical professionals so busy. I can’t stand it.

Post from: Philadelphia Event Calendar

Philadelphia Eagles: Sign Marlin Jackson, Twice Surgically Repaired Knees

Recently released runningback, Brian Westbrook, went on Dan Patrick’s radio show and called the Eagles cheap. “The thing for them, the Eagles, it’s always money. It’s always dollar signs,” Westbrook said. “If they can find someone to do it a little bit cheaper, they’ll go with that guy.”

Patrick then followed up with a question about whether it’s more important to the Eagles to make money or to win a Championship. “I’ve seen them go the money route with so many players,” Westbrook answered. “I wouldn’t know. You’d have to ask someone with the Eagles. With the players winning is the priority. With the management, I would hope winning is the priority, but I don’t know that.”

I do Brian. The answer is that they would much rather make more money than win a Championship. We have a decade-and-a-half of proof from this ownership that they don’t value winning over profit. Sure they would like to win, but only under their strict guidelines.

They will only spend as much as team president and “capologist,” Joe Banner, determines is the correct amount. They will only sign certain players. And they insist that their way of doing things is superior to all others. The only problem is that their way of doing business in the NFL hasn’t produced a Lombardi Trophy yet, and that’s all that matters.

OK, that’s not all that matters……to them. They only want to win if they can make truckloads of money as well. Owner Jeffrey Lurie was recently declared a Billionaire, with a “B”. That’s amazing when you consider the man never earned a dollar in his life and has no job other than owning an Eagles team that he bought with his family’s money. The NFL is a money-making machine, but not all owners simply treat their franchise (fans?) like an ATM machine. Lurie does.

You also need to keep in mind that Westbrook said these things about the Eagles a week after he was released. This wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction from a player whose pride was hurt and was looking for revenge. Westbrook was always a loyal company man during his time with the Eagles. He seemed to simply be stating a fact when he spoke to Patrick.

Still don’t think the Eagles are cheap? Well then you are either an idiot, a member of the Eagles organization, or you’re high on some drugs you bought from Andy Reid’s sons. The Eagles rank around 15th among NFL teams in player salary per year over the last decade. In 2009 Forbes ranked the Eagles as the 7th most valuable NFL franchise. Sure seems to me that they’re pocketing a large portion of the money. And it apparently seems that way to Brian Westbrook as well.

Now maybe some of you Eagles apologists will finally admit what a bunch of mindless sheep you all are. The Eagles are using their fans’ loyalty against them. I won’t give up my season tickets, because I plan to outlive that fat bastard Reid and the little rich boy who bought the team with mommy’s money, Jeffrey Lurie. Outliving them is our only hope for a Championship. You know, because they’re cheap, just like Brian Westbrook said.

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Philadelphia Eagles: Brian Westbrook Calls’em “Cheap”

All kidding aside, this is just another in a long line of moves that this organization has made that guarantees that they will never win a Superbowl.

By hiring someone who was already in the organization, they have insured that nothing will change. They got the “yes man” that they wanted and nothing else matters. Well, that’s not entirely true. All that really matters to the bastards that own and run the Philadelphia Eagles is how much money they can make. The stadium is full and there is a waiting list that could fill it twice more. That means the Eagles organization is in its “Happy Place” and doesn’t want to change anything.

To be fair, we should look at Roseman’s qualifications. As a graduate of Fordham Law School, Howie Roseman has the slimy ability to lie to people’s faces and make it look sincere. That’s the number one priority for anyone working in Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie’s front office under team President Joe Banner. The other thing you have to be is supremely arrogant even though you have never won a damn thing. Since Roseman has been with the Eagles for the last eleven years, working directly for Banner, I’ll assume he is sufficiently arrogant.

Roseman, 34, doesn’t have a traditional background for an NFL GM. Instead of having an NFL pedigree from either coaching, playing or scouting, Roseman spent most of his time over the last eleven years helping Banner with the salary cap. Only in the last year has he moved over into helping former GM, Tom Heckert, on the player evaluation side. That’s right, one whole year of player personnel experience. Yeah, he sounds qualified to me.

This announcement was expected even before Tom Heckert left to take the GM job with the Cleveland Browns. The Eagles did bring in other token candidates to satisfy the ridiculous “Rooney Rule”, which requires teams to interview minority candidates for coaching and front office jobs. To satisfy that rule the Eagles interviewed assistant director of pro personnel, Louis Riddick. Riddick is an African American who is a former NFL safety that has been with the Eagles for two years after spending several years working in the personnel department of the Washington Redskins. The only other interview was with Ryan Grigson, who has been with the Eagles for the last six years as the director of college scouting. I hope the Eagles bought Riddick and Grigson lunch during these “interviews” otherwise it was a complete and utter waste of their time.

By only looking in-house, the Eagles missed an opportunity to get unbiased, untainted view of their roster and organization. Someone who hasn’t been inside this organization and might bring some new ideas to the table. Someone who, say, has actually won something.

Look, the Eagles way of doing things in their current set-up has produced exactly zero Lombardi Trophies. Nothing else should matter, yet this team is happy with the status quo. That is why they will never win anything as they are currently constituted.

Everybody wants to point out how good Reid does in the draft by pointing to guys like DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin. OK, Jackson is a star, but Reid also drafted wide receiver Freddie Mitchell when Chad Ochocinco, Chris Chambers, and Reggie Wayne were available in the draft. His draft record is average at best. He is also solely responsible for the atrocity that the defense has become. Every single player on the Eagles defense was drafted or signed under the current front office set-up.

During Andy Reid’s early success with the Eagles, he relied on a dominant defense to win him games with turnovers and great field position. Those defenses were built with players chosen by former coach Ray Rhodes, former GM Tom Modrak and former personnel man Michael Lombardi. They were all shown the door, when Reid was given the title of “Grand Pooh-Bah” of the Eagles. That was when Reid was given final say in all personnel matters, making him the actual GM. Well, Reid does have to listen to Banner tell him who fits into the precious salary cap, so maybe Banner actually decides who they sign. Either way, Banner and Reid have been the constants over the last eleven years that have produced zero championships. With the hiring of Howie Roseman as the new GM, that organizational structure will remain exactly the same.

I tend to look at this team more as the one that got embarrassed by a legitimate team in the Dallas Cowboys, rather than the won that won 11 games against an endless stream of terrible teams during the regular season. (One win against a team with a winning record, and that 9-7 Falcons team played the Eagles without their starting quarterback or runningback).

“I’ve never been in this role before,” Roseman said. “Everyone puts their own little spin on things. Debate and discussion is part of great organizations.” Uh, how would you know, Howie? The only organization you have ever worked for is the Eagles under Reid and Banner. “Andy makes the final call, but he wants to hear your opinions”, Roseman continued. “He doesn’t want to hear just yes men.”

Did anyone else’s “Bullshit Meter” just explode? Roseman’s hiring proves that all the Eagles ever want is a “Yes man”. Apparently Roseman said that with a straight face, so he’s already made the Eagles organization happy. It’s too bad the Eagles organization’s definition of happy is so vastly different from the real Eagles fans who want and deserve a championship.

The Eagles will never win anything as they are currently run. The last eleven years without a Lombardi Trophy proven that out.  Need I say more?

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Philadelphia Eagles: Why They Will Continue to be Losers…

This loss hurts me more than any other one of the Andy Reid era, with the exception of the Superbowl loss. Losing to the Dallas Cowboys is every Philadelphia Eagles fan’s worst nightmare. Their bandwagon jumping loser fans will now be even more obnoxious. Now I need to figure out whom to blame.

Obviously, I’m going to start with Donovan McNabb, since this was his last game with the Philadelphia Eagles. Don’t believe me? You’ll see. Anyway, McNabb was putrid. Oh sure, his apologists will say that he threw for 230 yards in this game, but I will point out that 51 of those yards came on the Eagles last drive, where the Dallas Cowboys were playing a really soft prevent defense and McNabb couldn’t even get the “gimme” TD. He sucked. McNabb officially completed 19 of 37 passes for 230 yards, with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Donovan McNabb completed only 4 of 10 passes in the first half for 39 yards, when the Dallas Cowboys put the game away with a 27-point 2nd quarter. He also fumbled later in the game.

I knew he was going to have a bad game on his first pass. It was a McNabb Special; the worm-burner. His second pass should have been picked off. It was so bad that even though the Philadelphia Eagles tied the game in the 2nd quarter on a Michael Vick 76-yard TD pass to Jeremy Maclin (Dallas Cowboys cornerback Mike Jenkins fell), McNabb didn’t even have a completion at that point in the game. I’ve seen enough. Time to move on.

There was no running game to speak of again. I understand that the Philadelphia Eagles were way behind in the second half, but Reid only called 11 running plays all game. The problem was that those 11 plays only generated 43 yards. That’s not good. I also found it a bit surprising that Brian Westbrook didn’t get a single carry in the game. His only touch in the game was a 27 yard reception. I know I said he looked slow last week, but I really hope this isn’t the end for Westbrook.

The receivers didn’t help much either. Jeremy Maclin had 7 catches for 146 yards and a touchdown, helped by that 76-yard TD catch. Too bad he was the lone bright spot. After all his trash-talking before the game DeSean Jackson came up small, even for a man of his stature. 3 catches for 14 yards? Not good.

The offensive line was terrible once again. They didn’t open up holes for the running game and gave up four sacks. For those Jason Peters lovers out there who always say I’m wrong to criticize him, I would like to point out that he gave up one of those sacks and was flagged for not one but two false starts. He was not as good as I thought he would be this season.

Of course, there will be those who excuse McNabb and Reid and try to blame the loss on the defense. That would be short-sighted. It would also fail to admit the fact the Reid picked every single player on this current roster. Yes, the defense played poorly, but you need to keep in mind that the offense turned the ball over an astounding five times. The defense was also on the field for almost 40 minutes. You can’t leave your defense on the field that long, trying to protect a short field all game and expect them to pitch a shutout.

Again, we need to realize that the Dallas Cowboys are just a better team than the Eagles right now. Their offensive line was simply too big and strong for the Eagles smaller defensive line. The Eagles did a decent job of stopping the run early, but the Cowboys just wore them down. Felix Jones ended up with 148 yards, including a 73-yard TD.

The Philadelphia Eagles also couldn’t get enough pressure on Cowboys QB Tony Romo (23 for 35, 244 yards and 2 TDs). Even when they did manage to get some pressure on Romo with the blitz, he was able to find the open receiver. At least they didn’t sit back like they did the week before.

If you don’t think the Eagles were simply beat by a better team, then how about a few stats? In the three games against the Cowboys, the Eagles offense only managed to score 2 touchdowns and 3 field goals, but managed to turn the ball over six times. That’s not luck, that’s dominance.

That dominance shouldn’t surprise you though. I’ve been telling you all year that the Eagles were only beating up on the dregs of the NFL. After this loss they went 0-5 against the three playoff teams that they faced this year; New Orleans, San Diego and Dallas. In those five games they were outscored 157-75. Maybe I was right all along?

This loss is going to be remembered by every Philadelphia Eagles fan forever. Losing in the playoffs is bad enough, but letting the hated Dallas Cowboys win their first playoff game since 1996 is inexcusable.

The Andy Reid - Donovan McNabb Philadelphia Eagles have now gone 11 seasons without wining a Super Bowl. I have been saying for years that they never will and so far I’ve been right. Reid just got a contract extension, so that means that McNabb is finished in Philly. He’s a good QB, but he isn’t a Championship QB and that’s all that matters anymore.

Post from: Philadelphia Event Calendar

One-And-Done: Philadelphia Eagles 2009 Season Playoffs Post-Mortem

The Philadelphia Eagles have endured some injuries this season, but that isn’t an excuse. No team is perfectly healthy at this time of year. No, the Philadelphia Eagles problems are much deeper than that. Not only aren’t they as talented as the Dallas Cowboys, they also don’t match up well against them. The Dallas Cowboys regular season sweep seemed to confirm that assertion.

The first game in November was a close 20-16 Dallas Cowboys win. The rematch last week in Dallas wasn’t so close. That 24-0 butt-kicking exposed everything that is wrong with this Philadelphia Eagles team. They weren’t big enough along the line of scrimmage, their star players didn’t come through in the clutch and they were completely outcoached. Other than that, how did you enjoy the play Mrs. Lincoln?

The Philadelphia Eagles faithful have nothing but blind hope to go on now. Those who say that it’s hard to beat a team three times in a season are simply wrong. Since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, there have been 19 times when a team went into a playoff game with a chance to complete a three-game season sweep. Those teams completed the sweep in 12 of the 19 games. That’s a 63% winning percentage. However, the Dallas Cowboys have lost twice in the playoffs after beating a team twice during the regular season. In 1998 the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Arizona Cardinals, 20-7 in the playoffs and in 2007 they lost to the New York Giants 21-17 in the playoffs. That helps explain why the Dallas Cowboys haven’t won a playoff game since 1996.

While all those stats are nice, they mean nothing to this particular match-up. The stat that really stands out to me in this playoff match-up is the one that says that the Philadelphia Eagles have scored only one touchdown in 21 offensive possessions in the two games this season against the Dallas Cowboys. That is just pathetic.

The Philadelphia Eagles offense is ranked 11th overall, but a lowly 22nd in rushing. That is due to a combination of Andy Reid not running the ball and the running backs not doing a great job with those limited chances. Over the last four games the Eagles runningbacks have only averaged 3.5 yards per carry. That number isn’t big enough for Reid to stick with the run, in spite of the mountain of statistical evidence that even this Philadelphia Eagles team is much better when they have a balanced offense. I personally think Brian Westbrook looked slow hitting the hole last week, but maybe he’s still trying to get his game back after missing so much time this season. LeSean McCoy seems to have hit the dreaded “rookie wall” hard. And even though “Nobody can stop the Weave”, Reid only gave Leonard Weaver one carry last week. Do that again and it will be a brief playoff appearance for the our Philadelphia Eagles.

The Philadelphia Eagles passing offense was very good this season, but it relied too much on quick-strike TDs. That’s one of the areas where the Eagles don’t matchup well with the Dallas Cowboys. McNabb has never been accused of being an overly accurate passer, but he does have a big arm. That enables him to get the ball deep to wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin for long TDs. The Dallas Cowboys, though, have been able to effectively take the long ball away from the Philadelphia Eagles so far this season. After scoring eight TDs of over 35 yards during the regular season, Jackson was held to only five catches for 76 yards in two games against the Dallas Cowboys this season. Cowboys cornerback, Mike Jenkins, talked some smack and backed it up last week. To make matters worse, Jackson aggravated a groin injury. So would that be adding insult to injury, or adding injury to insult? Nevermind. Without much of a running game, the Philadelphia Eagles are not able to sustain long drives, which explains that one TD in 21 possessions against the Dallas Cowboys.

The Philadelphia Eagles and Donovan McNabb are going to have to take what the Dallas Cowboys give them if they hope to score many points. I’m not sure if McNabb has it in him, but his future in Philadelphia could very well depend on it. Tight end Brent Celek had 7 catches for 96 yards last week against the Dallas Cowboys and will need a repeat performance. The Philadelphia Eagles should also rediscover Weaver in the passing game.

Of course, none of that matters if the Philadelphia Eagles offensive line can’t protect Donovan McNabb and open up a hole every once in a while for the running game. The O-line also has five false start penalties since Nick Cole took over at center for the injured Jamaal Jackson. They did a nice job on All-Pro NT Jay Ratliff and DE DeMarcus Ware last week, but Anthony Spencer abused Eagles RT Winston Justice.

Tony Romo has never won a playoff game because he always made too many mistakes. This season he has turned that all around. He had 26 TDs and 9 INTs during the regular season, including 11 TDs and only 1 INT in the last six games. The big difference is that Romo doesn’t get rattled by pressure anymore. That has caused problems for the Eagles. When they blitz, they can normally create havoc. It just hasn’t worked out that way against Romo and the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys O-line has given Romo enough time against the Philadelphia Eagles blitz to find his open receivers. And he has some good ones in budding star WR, Miles Austin and TE Jason Witten. Austin had seven catches for 90 yards last week against the Eagles and is averaging 106.8 yards per game over the last six weeks. Witten is a perennial Pro-Bowler and the Eagles can’t cover even crappy TEs. Add to that the fact that Asante Samuel gambled three times last week and lost twice and I am not confident.

The Eagles LBs are a mess right now. Will Witherspoon is their only LB who doesn’t have a major deficiency. Jeremiah Trotter and Chris Gocong are good run-stoppers, but terrible in pass coverage. Akeem Jordan and Moise Fokou are better in pass coverage, but a little too light to be effective run-stoppers. This is not a good situation.

The Dallas Cowboys offense is ranked 2nd overall because they have a perfect balance between the run (7th) and the pass (6th). Andy should take notes.

Last week Dallas Cowboys runningbacks Marion Barber and Felix Jones each had 91 yards rushing, in the Philadelphia Eagles worst performance stopping the run all season. If they can’t find a way to slow down the Cowboys running attack, this game will look just like the 24-0 blowout. I expect them to use the beefier linebackers, Trotter and Gocong, more often in this game.

Jackson led the NFL in punt return average (15.2), but he has that groin injury and has been held in check by the Cowboys. Patrick Crayton is also a dangerous return man for the Cowboys, but the Eagles coverage teams have done well against him. The Cowboys kicking game kept the Eagles pinned deep in their own zone last game with good punts and four touchbacks in five attempts.

Normally you would assume Andy Reid’s 7-0 record in his first playoff game each year would give him the edge in a coaching matchup, but he just got outcoached by Wade Philips last week. Think about that for a second. I have and now I’m depressed. This might be the best team that Philips has ever coached and his best chance to get the first postseason win of his career. Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Sean McDermott had a brain fart last week in calling off the blitz when the Dallas Cowboys running attack got big yardage early against the blitz. Jim Johnson never would have backed off.

I’m not looking at any trends in this game except the one that shows me that the Dallas Cowboys have handled the Eagles this season. I just don’t see the Philadelphia Eagles changing the previous outcomes unless they play a near perfect game and the Cowboys make a few mistakes. Losing to the Dallas Cowboys three times in a season and ending their playoff win drought is my worst nightmare. Or more accurately, having to deal with despicable Dallas Cowboys fans if they win this game - could be my worst nightmare.

They say that on any given Sunday, any team can beat another. Too bad for the Philadelphia Eagles, this game is on Saturday night.  Dallas Cowboys 27 - Philadelphia Eagles 20.

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2009 NFL Playoffs Week 1 Preview: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys, Part III

Yes, our old friend Donovan McNabb is back to his old ways of not accepting any of the blame when things go wrong. Here is exactly what McNabb said after the Eagles humiliating 24-0 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

“We showed our youth, in situations where everyone began to look around to see who was going to make a play, rather than stepping up and making that play. That’s something that comes with the territory, when you have a young group.”

DeSean, Jeremy, say hello the undercarriage of the bus. The wheels on the bus go round and round indeed. All over their heads, courtesy of their pathetic loser of a quarterback. WRs DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin may not have had a great game, but they didn’t deserve that.

That is a textbook case of what you’re not supposed to say about your teammates, particularly if you’ve had an abysmal game yourself. You especially don’t say that if you are the QB of a team. And you really shouldn’t be saying crap like that when you are constantly telling everybody that you are the leader of the team. The jury rests its case against McNabb being the leader of the team.

I have given McNabb a break throughout most of this season, because he has played well. Of course, when you’re beating up on the worst the NFL has to offer week after week, it’s easy to take all the credit. Leaders emerge when things go wrong. McNabb said “…everyone was looking around to see who was going to make a play…”. Hey Donnie, maybe as the QB, that should have been you making a play, Douchebag. Or how about if you’re really the leader of the team, you lead those young players when they are looking around? It’s what winning QBs do.

McNabb did neither of those things. That’s why he isn’t a winner and never will be. All he did was overthrow, underthrow and throw behind wide open receivers all day. Then, he has the audacity to rip the very receivers who managed to get open? That’s just pathetic.

At this time, I must point out that Jeremy Maclin made one of the most cowardly moves not seen from an Eagle since the days of Ricky Watters. At the end of the game McNabb threw possibly his best pass all game. He dropped in some perfection right over a cornerback and a closing safety, right to where Maclin could catch it in the endzone. Only, Maclin took his eyes off the ball for a full five seconds and never looked back up for the ball. You see, he was watching that safety closing in, making sure that he wouldn’t get hit. If he even gave half an effort for the ball - it would have been a TD. But he didn’t and it was possibly the most gutless play you will ever see on a football field. It reminded me of the infamous Todd Pinkston alligator arm, “I lost the ball in the lights” move. Yes, it was that bad. Fox showed it a few times and even Troy Aikman and Joe Buck commented on how sad the effort was. Jeremy, you just got punk’d by Joe Buck. “Duuuuude.” It doesn’t get any worse than that.

So McNabb or one of Maclin’s other teammates should have gotten in his face, but it shouldn’t have been done in public. It definitely shouldn’t have been said to the media. If you say that McNabb never named Maclin and Jackson specifically, then please tell me who else he could have possibly been talking about when he said “youth”? Rookie LeSean McCoy got one stinkin’ carry thanks to the genius that is Andy Reid.

McNabb isn’t a leader. He also isn’t a winner. He comes up small every time in the biggest games. His 1-5 record in NFC Championship Games and the Super Bowl prove that point. The one win? Well, that was the game where Michael Vick quit the second he got off the bus in the cold of Philadelphia in 2004. I was there and it was obvious. While McNabb technically gets a win there, he certainly wasn’t the one who led the team to the victory. No, when McNabb got the chance to lead his team to victory that season, he literally choked on the field in Jacksonville during the Super Bowl.

McNabb will never win a Championship because he just doesn’t have it in him. He might be a more gifted passer that Ben Roethlisberger, but Big Ben has won a few Super Bowls. McNabb might have a bigger arm than Eli Manning, but Eli got hot enough to stop making stupid mistakes and ride a dominant defense to a Super Bowl title himself. McNabb can’t do that. When the pressure really starts to grow, McNabb becomes the New York Mets of the NFL and chokes.

Then, he’ll do something like he did here and throw his teammates under the bus, instead of taking any of the blame on himself. None of his teammates could possibly have an ounce of respect left for him now. McNabb is trying to backtrack on the comments and say they were taken out of context. No, sorry Donnie. I saw the full press conference and read the transcripts. You said it and you showed everyone exactly why you will never be a winner. I’m just glad that you will be choking for some other team next year.

Since the Eagles gave Andy Reid that ridiculous extension, it will be McNabb that is made the scapegoat for yet another season without a Championship. As recently as a week ago, I would have said that was unfair. After what he just did to his teammates, I say it’s time to move on. We’ve seen this act before and it’s getting old. We don’t know if Kevin Kolb can win a Championship, but we definitely know that McNabb can’t. He just doesn’t have it in him. Maybe he left it on the field in Jacksonville.

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Time for Donovan McNabb to Go: Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles got their asses handed to them in embarrassing fashion in a 24-0 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. That means that the Cowboys win the NFC East and the teams will play again next week in the same stadium in the first round of the playoffs. I’ve never been so pissed off about making the playoffs in my life. But that’s a discussion for another day. We need to pick over this dead carcass of a game first.

The Eagles defense couldn’t stop the Cowboys running game as both Marion Barber and Felix Jones rushed for 91 yards each. Barber had 58 yards on the Cowboys opening TD drive, in a sign of what was to come. The defense also couldn’t stop Tony Romo, who completed 24 of 34 passes for 311 yards, with 2 TDs and 1 INT. Maybe that’s because he had all day in the pocket to find open receivers. And when he did find them, Sheldon Brown and Asante Samuel took turns biting hard on fakes and giving up big plays. They couldn’t contain yet another TE. Jason Witten had 6 catches for 76 yards and a TD.

The Eagles also couldn’t generate any offense whatsoever. Donovan McNabb was putrid. He completed 20 of 36 passes for 223 yards and a fumbled snap. He missed wide open receivers repeatedly, including both DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin (who totally punked out on the last play when he didn’t even go for a pass as he was about to get hit. Todd Pinkston anyone?) for sure TDs. Part of that was due to the fact that the Eagles offensive line played terribly. They gave up four sacks and had two false start penalties that I can remember. One was of course on Jason Peters. The line only enabled the running game to generate 3.7 yards per carry too. But that stat is a bit deceiving.

It’s deceiving because Andy Reid completely abandoned the run again. It was just a matter of time before that big fat dope reverted to his passaholic ways, but this was ridiculous. The Eagles called 38 passing plays and only 8 running plays. That shouldn’t be possible. I guess that would explain why the Eagles had the ball for less than 20 minutes during the game. For those Andy Reid butt-munchers out there who will say that the Eagles couldn’t run because they were behind the entire game, I will point out that they ran the ball only five times the entire first half, when the game was still close. I will also point out that you are an idiot. Please remove your head from Andy Reid’s ass and try to catch a glimpse of reality for a change.

Andy also proved once again that he is the worst game-day coach in the NFL. He didn’t make any in-game adjustments, when it was obvious that his game plan wasn’t going to work. If he actually made any adjustments, then that’s even worse since the Eagles got shut out. He even called the dumbest timeout I have ever seen. Andy called a timeout when the Eagles were going to punt instead of simply taking a delay of game penalty for five yards. Other, smart coaches, take that five yard penalty on purpose when they are inside the opposing team’s 50 yard line to give their punter more room to punt. Not our Andy. He’s a friggin’ genius, remember? When questioned about it after the game he said he didn’t want to give up any yards. What a complete idiot.

Andy was also as arrogant as ever. During his post-game news conference he was asked if he thought about taking McNabb out of the game in the 4th quarter, since it was all but over. He smirked, laughed a condescending laugh and said “no”. That is a perfect example of why I hate Andy Reid. I guess he didn’t see New England’s Wes Welker getting injured today in a meaningless game for the Patriots. Dope.

I took lots of notes on this game and had all sorts of game stats ready, but why bother. I’d much rather just rant about an Eagles team that showed absolutely no heart in getting humiliated last Sunday. Instead of getting the second seed and a first-round bye, the Eagles will have to play the Cowboys in Jerry Jones’ new billion dollar playpen again next week.

The Eagles finished the regular season 11-5, but that was due to one of the easiest schedules ever. If you don’t believe me, then consider that the Eagles played only four games against playoff teams all season (including the Cowboys twice) and lost all four games. Also, considering that the Eagles have now scored one TD in 21 possessions in the two games this season against the Cowboys, is there anybody who actually believes that this season isn’t already over? Anybody? Put your hand down Andy. We’re going to PASS on your vote.

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Post-Game Week 17: Eagles “Pass” On Bye, Lose to Cowboys

The Cowboys already beat the Eagles earlier this season, 20-16 in Philly. But don’t forget how the Eagles stomped the Cowboys on the last weekend of last season 44-6. That game kept the Cowboys out of the playoffs, so you know it hurt.

As simplistic as it sounds, this game will be won or lost on the lines. It’s an old football cliché, but it’s true for this game. If the Eagles revamped offensive line can’t win the battle at the line of scrimmage, the Eagles don’t have a prayer of winning the game.

The Eagles line has been in a state of flux all season with various injuries, but it was beginning to jell in the last six games, not coincidentally all wins. Now, center Jamaal Jackson was lost for the season with a knee injury. That means that right guard Nick Cole, who has never started any of his 23 NFL games at center, will slide over to take his place. That also means that slow-footed Max Jean-Gilles will be replacing Cole at RG. Funny, but didn’t the Eagles spend a ton of money on a free agent guard? Stacy something? Oh well, that must have been my imagination.

That would be a major adjustment for the Eagles under normal circumstances, but these are not normal circumstances. The Eagles have to face the Cowboys and the best nose tackle in the NFL, Jay Ratliff. In the first meeting, Ratliff had two sacks, two hurries and eight tackles. He is not your typical NT. He totally dominates in the middle. The Eagles will have to give Cole help with Ratliff, but Jean-Gilles is a bit on the slow side. That, in turn, will lead to more one-on-one matchups for the Cowboys outside linebackers on the Eagles offensive tackles. Winston Justice and Jason Peters have played well during the winning streak, but now they’ll have to deal with Anthony Spencer and DeMarcus Ware.

The Cowboys are ranked 12th overall defensively and 5th against the run. Ratliff has a lot to do with that. If the Eagles O-line can’t open up some holes for the running game, the Cowboys defense will be able to tee off on QB Donovan McNabb. Plus, the Eagles have only averaged 3.4 yards per carry against 3-4 defenses this season.

So that might just mean that Andy Reid will go completely pass-happy against the Cowboys 21st ranked pass defense. McNabb wasn’t able to exploit the Cowboys in the first matchup this season and, in fact, the Cowboys were able to completely shut down his #1 target. In the November 8th game, DeSean Jackson was held to only 2 catches for 29 yards. Now, Cowboys cornerback, Mike Jenkins, is talking smack about how they won’t let Jackson get by them for long gains this game, either. The Eagles O-line needs to give McNabb time to set up in the pocket to find Jackson and his other receivers or this one will get ugly for the men in green.

Normally a game in December or January against the Cowboys would be almost a guaranteed win. Not so much anymore. The Cowboys, and especially QB Tony Romo, have seemingly exorcised their late season demons. The Cowboys went 2-2 in December and Tony Romo’s stellar play was a major reason why. Entering 2009 Romo had been 5-9 as a starter after December 1, with 14 TDs and 19 INTs. Now, Romo has averaged 309.8 yards per game, with seven TDs and only one INT in the last four December games. The yards and TDs are nice, but it’s the INTs that really stand out.

That shows that Romo is maturing as a quarterback. His interceptions are way down and his sacks are up this season. That shows that he’s willing to pull the ball down rather than take unnecessary chances. Still, he’s dangerous when he’s running around creating plays with his feet. The Eagles need to contain Romo with their pass rush. He was sacked four times against the Eagles in November, but still threw for 307 yards and got the win. I’m sure defensive coordinator Sean McDermott has a few new blitzes ready for Romo this time around.

The Cowboys offense is ranked 3rd overall, 8th rushing and 6th passing. That means that they keep things balanced. Are you paying attention Andy? (Eagles are ranked 10th overall, but 21st rushing and 9th passing. Obviously not.)

Dallas uses a three-headed monster at runningback, with Marion Barber for the tough yards, Felix Jones as the outside threat and Tashard Choice as the overall guy. It seems to be working, as the Cowboys are 2nd in the league in yards per carry (4.8). Luckily the Eagles are doing a good job of stuffing the run this season (ranked 8th).

When the Cowboys try to throw the ball, they will have one big problem. That would be defensive end, Trent Cole. He uses and abuses Cowboys left tackle, Flozell Adams, on a regular basis. Cole has 12-1/2 sacks this season, but the Cowboys have only allowed 10 sacks in their last 5 games. Something has to give here.

When Romo gets time he will be looking to wide receiver Miles Austin and tight end Jason Witten. Austin is the deep threat, averaging 8 catches for 110 yards over the last 5 games and Witten works the underneath. I’m sure Asante Samuel will get burned for a long gainer while biting on a pump-fake going for an interception, too. He’s exciting and frustrating all at the same time. The bigger problem for the Eagles will be covering Witten. The Eagles haven’t been able to cover TEs all year and Witten is one of the best.

On special teams we have the #1 (Jackson) and #2 (Cowboys Patrick Crayton) punt returners in the NFL. Throw in the fact that Eagles kick returner Macho Harris fumbled twice in the last game and this could be a very exciting game for the special teams.

Andy Reid’s teams always play better later in the regular season. Wade Phillips is just a figurehead for Jerry Jones and has a terrible late-season record. Both have their teams playing well going into this game though.

The Eagles have more on the line in this game, since they can actually get a first round bye as the #2 seed with a win. The Cowboys could also win the division with a win and have a possible rematch next week in the playoffs against an Eagles team they would have beaten twice already.

Both teams have plenty of motivation. Both teams are looking for revenge. Both teams are playing at a high level right now. I want the Eagles to win, because I want a home playoff game. Is that enough?

Normally I would assume that Andy Reid blows this one, just like he does in most of his big games (1-5 in NFC Championship games and the Super Bowl), but there isn’t as much pressure on the team here. Both teams are already in the playoffs, so there isn’t the same amount of pressure as there is in the playoffs. I see the Eagles winning a close one 23-20. I mean, I could use a little break anyway.

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Week 17 - Dallas Cowboys: Philadelphia Eagles Preview

How the hell do you go for it on 4th and inches on your own 29 yard line in the first half when you have the lead against an inferior opponent? That’s just stupid. Forget the fact that the Eagles are historically a terrible short yardage team under Andy Reid. It just doesn’t make sense to go for it in that situation. Even if you get the first down, you still have to drive another 70 yards for a touchdown. But if (when) you don’t make it, you give the other team all of the momentum. The only thing that saved Andy Reid’s dumb ass was Sheldon Brown stripping the football from Delanie Walker at the Eagles 6 yard line and Asante Samuel recovering it in the 49er ensuing possession. You could say that Samuel not only covered the ball, but also covered Reid’s ass.

Reid even reverted to his passaholic ways, but got away with it because the 49ers are so bad. Reid called 40 passing plays and 29 running plays. While that doesn’t seem like a terrible ratio considering how bad the 49ers are against the pass, you need to consider the fact that the Eagles literally led for the entire game. The Eagles scored a TD on the first possession on the game and never trailed.

McNabb threw two bad interceptions and it should have been three, but the 49er cornerback dropped an easy one that would undoubtedly have been returned for a score. The most aggravating thing about that is that the Eagles were up by 14 points in the 4th quarter at that point. Why the hell were they throwing in that situation? The 49ers weren’t capable of driving the length of the field for one TD, let alone two, in under 10 minutes. Their only TD drive went a whole 35 yards. So, why not just run out the clock by running the football? Any sane coach would have done that. Not our Andy.

Again, Reid and the Eagles are lucky that the 49ers stink. Specifically, they’re lucky Alex Smith is on a very short list of the worst 1st round draft picks ever (don’t worry, Andy’s pick of Freddie Mitchell is also on that list). Smith was 20 for 37 with 177 yards, 1 TD and 3 INTs. The only 49er who wasn’t terrible in this game was Frank Gore (16 carries for 107 yards). Gore is the first runningback to rush for over 100 yards against the Eagles in 24 games. The last one to do it was… Frank Gore.

The Eagles defense does deserve some credit for holding the 49ers talent-deprived offense in check. After the Giants fiasco last week, where they gave up over 500 yards, this was a marked improvement. They got pressure on the quarterback, created turnovers and just generally never let the 49ers get into a flow offensively. They held Gore in check, except for his one 37 yard run. Asante Samuel even made two tackles that I saw. It was a Christmas Miracle.

DeSean Jackson once again helped McNabb (21/37 for 306 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs) pad his stats with a big day. He had 6 catches for 140 yards and McNabb’s lone TD. He should have had another easy score, but McNabb overthrew Jackson when he had ten yards on the closest defender downfield. McNabb also refused to take easy yardage on scrambles on numerous occasions. He threw one of his INTs while scrambling, when he could have walked for the first down.

The only good thing that can be said about this game is that the Eagles found a way to win it. McNabb didn’t have a good game in spite of the yardage total and Andy Reid proved once again what a terrible game day coach he is. Did I mention that he wasted a timeout before the failed 4th and inches call that would have led to defeat against a good team? Poor clock management is a trademark of an Andy Reid coached team.

With the win, the Eagles clinched a playoff birth. That’s great, but it just means that the team will find new and excruciatingly painful ways to disappoint their fans again this season. I can’t believe that I have to endure five more years of this idiot running the team.

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Post-Game Week 15: Philadelphia Eagles Clinch Playoff Berth With Victory Over 49ers

As for the game, there are several interesting trends at work here. First, the San Francisco 49ers played on Monday night and teams playing on a short week generally don’t do well in that next game. Then there is the fact that the Niners have to travel across the country, never a positive for the traveling team. Finally, the Niners are a warm weather team and although the snow will have stopped by kickoff, it is going to be frigid in Philly. The only trend that is in the Niners favor is that this is a classic trap game for the Eagles. They are coming off a big win over a divisional opponent and next week is the emotional “homecoming” of Brian Dawkins with the Denver Broncos. Plus, the Eagles are riding a 4-game winning streak and this is historically where an Andy Reid teams blows a game they should win.

All the trends aside, games are settled on the field. The Niners are coming off an upset win over the Arizona Cardinals where Frank Gore rushed 25 times for 167 yards. While Gore is a great runningback, he has been underused all season, averaging less than 14 carries a game. The reason for that is that after a slow start, the Niners put Alex Smith back at quarterback and went to a spread offense.

While Smith hasn’t even come close to living up to his first overall draft selection, he is playing well this season. The spread offense, with its quick reads and short to intermediate passing game, suits his abilities well. Smith has at least 2 touchdown passes in each of his last four games. Even with that, the Niners are ranked 27th in the NFL in offense.

The Niners wide receivers are average at best, but rookie Michael Crabtree will be a stud. He isn’t one yet due to his skipping training camp and some of the regular season in a contract dispute though. Their #1 receiver is tight end Vernon Davis, who leads all NFL TEs with 11 TDs. That is particularly bad news for an Eagles defense that can’t stop even the most average of TEs. In the last 10 games, opposing TEs have 70 catches for 776 yards and 8 TDs against the Eagles. I expect Davis to abuse the Eagles LBs and safeties as most others have for the length of the season.

Speaking of getting abused all day long, that’s exactly what DeSean Jackson is going to do to the Niners CBs, who are without Pro Bowler Nate Clements. Jackson is going to make CBs Shawtae Spencer and Dre Bly look foolish more than once during the game. He may even return another punt for a TD while he’s at it.

That will help Donovan McNabb continue one of the best seasons of his career. His 95.9 passer rating is the 2nd best of his career and his .613 completion percentage is the 3rd best of his career. See what happens when Andy Reid actually gets some WRs who don’t suck? I wonder where Todd Pinkston and James Thrash are now? The Niners 27th ranked pass defense shouldn’t prevent McNabb from improving those numbers on Sunday.

The Eagles haven’t been running the ball especially well recently, but bless his big heart; Andy Reid is at least staying with it. LeSean McCoy may have hit the dreaded “rookie wall”, as his production has dipped in the last few games. However, FB Leonard Weaver has more than picked up the slack with 6.8 yards per touch over the last seven games. I don’t expect much production from the running game against the Niners 5th ranked run D, but Andy needs to at least try to run the football. If he doesn’t, then the Niners pass-rush will be able to get after McNabb.

The Niners don’t have a lot of sacks on the season, but they have 15 in their last three games. The Eagles offensive line only gave up one sack to the Giants last week and have only given up 10 sacks in the last five games. OLB Ahmad Brooks has four sacks in his last two games and he lines up against LT Jason Peters. Peters is playing better recently, so let’s hope his early season struggles were more a reflection of his injuries and trying to learn a new system. Otherwise his hideous year last season with the Bills, where he quit on the team when he didn’t get more money, means the Eagles made a big mistake.

The Niners forced seven turnovers on Monday night against the Cardinals and have 15 in their last five games. The Eagles have only turned the ball over 17 times all season, which is the 4th lowest total in the NFL. Since the only snow on the field will be in big piles on the sideline, the weather shouldn’t affect the play of the teams. And there won’t be any in the stand for the fans to throw, either.

Andy Reid has the Eagles on a roll, but he needs to keep the offensive balance that he has used during the current 4-game winning streak. Mike Singletary is the kind of coach that every fan loves. He just doesn’t have the talent to win yet.

The only way the Eagles can lose this game is if Andy has a brain fart and completely abandons the running game. It happens every year. Just when we think Reid has finally learned his lesson about the virtues of a balanced offensive attack, he reverts to his passaholic ways. Of course, the Niners pass D is so bad; the Eagles might be able to win anyway.

In a cold Winter Wonderland in Philadelphia, the Eagles should be able to send the Sunshine boys back to the West Coast with a loss.

Let’s call this one a 34 - 20 Eagles victory.

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Week 15 - San Francisco 49ers: Philadelphia Eagles Preview