The Philadelphia Eagles

2005-11-21T19:21:00.000-05:00

Eagles 17 - Giants 27

Well, lets see. Once again the Eagles have nothing to smile about, as they tacked on their fourth straight loss this weekend as they suffered a 27-17 defeat to their divisional rival New York Giants. This marks the first time since the 1999 campaign that the Birds lost four straight. Can you believe that the Philadelphia Eagles won the NFC East last year by seven games, yet they haven't won a single divisional game this year? No, I can't believe it either. To make matters even worse, it has been announced that QB Donovan McNabb will get his surgery to repair his sports hernia and sit out the rest of the season. No, that's not it; there's still more. Pro Bowl defensive back, Lito Sheppard, will also sit out the remainder of the season and have surgery on his severely sprained ankle which he suffered this past Sunday. I don't know, maybe it's a good thing. At 4-6 and last place in the division, the Eagles really don't have a shot at making the post season. So maybe it's better that Donovan and Lito hang up their cleats early, that way they will be fully recovered for next season; instead of waiting till January or February and then missing mini-camps and possibly the start of next season.

As far as the actual football game went on Sunday, the Eagles decided to go with QB Mike McMahon. After a shaky start in the first half, McMahon rallied the Eagles with 17 second-half points and fell just short. Only completing 5 of 15 passes for 81 yards in the first half, McMahon came out after halftime nearly brilliant; completing 13 of 24 passes, completing a touchdown pass to rookie WR Reggie Brown, scrambling 9 times for 31 yards, and diving over a pile for a one yard touchdown. Mike McMahon finished the day 18-of 39 passing for 298 yards, not bad numbers for a player who was listed as the No. 3 emergency quarterback for the first nine games of the season. As I mentioned, Reggie Brown played another great game; showing us he is a viable solution to the absence of Terrell Owens. Brown finished the day with three receptions for a team-high 88 yards and a touchdown. However, he refuses to take credit for his performance, instead focusing on the team's poor performance this season; "We can't keep losing. It's disgusting. It's a sick feeling." On the other side of the football, there were many positive signs; for once. Without question, one of the strong points of Sunday's game was the play of the Eagles defensive line, the ends in particular. DE Jevon Kearse had three sacks alone... in the first half, to go along with two forced fumbles, a pass deflection and five tackles.
On the opposite side of the line at right defensive end, Trent Cole, in his first start, also had a very productive game. He made a few nice tackles on Giants running back Tiki Barber and also contributed two sacks to give the defense a total of five for the game. Playing arguably his best game as an Eagle, Kearse had much to be proud of, however just like everyone else, he would still have preferred the "W."

Entering Week 12, Philadelphia heads back to Lincoln Financial Field where they will face the visiting 2-7 Green Bay Packers. Most likely the last time Packer QB, Brett Favre, will ever play in Philadelphia; the Eagles must put these four straight losses behind them and now play for some pride. I think TE L.J. Smith said it best: "Last year, we were on a roll, things were happening and you could see how things were going to pan out. We don't have time to sit here and harp on four division losses." Through thick and thin Philly, I'm still with you guys. It's time to forget about the past and take it one game at a time. So for right now, let's get ready for the 4:15 pm showdown this Sunday against the Packers, and focus on a Thanksgiving Weekend victory.

2005-11-16T17:20:00.000-05:00

Eagles 20 - Cowboys 21

To be honest with you, I think I was more disappointed after Monday night's loss to Dallas then I was after last year's Super Bowl loss. To have dominated the game for basically 55 minutes and blow a 13 point lead in less than a minute; it left all of us Eagles fans devastated. Finally, for once this season, the Birds came out strong with a balanced attack and scored on their first drive of the game. It seemed as if the team, and Donovan McNabb, put all the T.O. drama behind them and proved they could play effectively even without him. The only thing is, as I said, they played effectively for three and a half quarters, instead of four. Thus leading to the first time since 1999 that the Eagles have lost three straight games.

Surprisingly enough, Philly ran the ball quite well on Monday night. Philadelphia's rushing attack, which averaged a mere 58.6 yards through the first eight games, accounted for 181 yards (5.0-yard avg.). Much of that can be attributed to RBs Brian Westbrook and Lamar Gordon. All told, the team rushed the ball a season-high 36 times. As far as the passing attack went, QB Donovan McNabb completed passes to seven different receivers (the longest for 18 yards), but for a second straight week, he threw a costly interception. This time, the pass was intercepted by Roy Williams, who returned it 46 yards for the eventual game-winning score. McNabb finished the game with 169 yards passing on 19 of 34. He also ran five times for 22 yards, including a 2 yard touchdown. After that touchdown, it had almost seemed as if McNabb was back to his old self; spiking the ball and doing his trademark Michael Jackson moon walk in the end zone. However, I don't think McNabb will be doing much running, or celebrating for that matter, in the next couple weeks. Seen in the picture above, after McNabb threw an interception to Dallas SS Roy Williams, he attempted to make the tackle and re-injured his ab and groin when he was knocked down by LB Bradie James on Williams' return. Getting the ball back with roughly two and a half minutes left in the game and trailing 21-20, McNabb was physically unable to return to the field and the Eagles sent in back-up QB Mike McMahon. McMahon did his best to lead the offense down the field to get into field goal range, although they had to settle for a 60 yard attempt into the wind from David Akers. Needless to say, the attempt was no good, and the Eagles fell to 4-5 and 0-3 in the NFC East.

With McNabb out for at least this upcoming week against another divisional rival in the New York Giants, McMahon will get the start at quarterback. To read what both McNabb and McMahon had to say about the injury and the upcoming start, check out this article on espn.com. Anyway, the Eagles and all the Eagles fans out there can't dwell on this loss to long. This upcoming Sunday, Philly will travel up the NJ Turnpike for a match up in the Meadowlands. I'm sure it will be a hostile territory, as the Giants are coming off and upsetting loss to the Minnesota Vikings. In last place in the NFC East and a record below .500, the Eagles have no room for error if they wish to make the playoffs. When asked about this past Monday night's game and the upcoming game, Jeremiah Trotter said, "It's definitely tough to lose a game like this. Last week hurt and this week hurts even worse. We've just got to stick together as a team and keep working. It's been my motto the whole season. That's all you can do is keep working and learn from the mistakes." Well Trot, the mistakes have to stop here. I refuse to sit through this winter and not watch the Eagles in the playoffs.

2005-11-09T20:03:00.000-05:00

Eagles 10 - Redskins 17

Well Eagles fans, nothing really to talk about this week; so just check back next week for some updates. NOT! On the contrary, this past week has been one of the most eventful weeks in recent Eagles' history. Honestly, I don't even know where to begin. I feel like this past Sunday night's game against divisional rival Washington, is on the back burner compared to everything else that has been going on. And to be honest with you, there will probably be more drama going on with the team by the time you are doing reading this. Anyway, I'm going to take you through a little timeline of this past week's events. It all began when Terrell Owens publicly bashed the Philadelphia Eagles' organization; calling them classless. This stemmed from the fact that T.O. felt he deserved some sort of celebration or gratitude for scoring his 100th touchdown. He was quoted as saying, "If it were anyone else on the team, they would have popped fireworks off around the stadium." Following this out lash, during a public interview on ESPN, Terrell Owens was asked to respond to ESPN analyst Michael Irvin's comment that the Eagles would be undefeated if Brett Favre was the Eagles' quarterback; and not McNabb. T.O.'s response: "Yes, I would agree with that." As if taking shots left and right and Donovan McNabb wasn't enough (no pun intended), he did take shots at another member of the Eagles' organization. Reportedly, last week while T.O. was in the training room getting treatment on his injured ankle, team ambassador Hugh Douglas entered the training room announcing, "I know there are people in this room who are faking injuries." Obviously aimed at Owens, this led to a fistfight between the two which "resembled a WWE Smackdown." After the fight in the locker room, T.O. announced to the rest of the team, "Anyone else want a shot at me! Bring it on." Again, this outburst was believed to be aimed in the direction of Donovan McNabb. Following this escapade, Owens was then ordered to present a written and verbal apology to the organization as well as McNabb. Presenting the media with what seemed to be a half-hearted apology to the organization, it is reported that T.O. ripped off a portion of his apology which was directed towards Donovan. Following all of these antics, the Eagles had enough. On Monday morning after the loss to Washington, head coach Andy Reid announced that Terrell Owens had been suspended for four games without pay and will not be able to return to the Eagles after those four games. So how does T.O. respond? On Tuesday afternoon, in front of his Moorestown, NJ mansion, he and his agent Drew Rosenhaus held a live press conference. Filled with a lot of "apologies" and "no comments," T.O. announced his sincere apology to the Philadelphia Eagles' organization and to QB Donovan McNabb. Later that evening, Owens arrived at the Philadelphia International Airport for a flight to his home in Atlanta, Georgia. It seems as if this may be his only home now, since it was reported that his Moorestown estate is now on the market for $4.4 million. All I can say is that this has been one long dramatized trip and it will be interesting to see where it goes from here.

Oh yeah! There was a football game played this past Sunday night too. How could I forget? For once this season, the Eagles came out strong and Donovan completed his first pass attempt. He actually showed signs of his old self; scrambling around in the pocket, making people miss and making some pretty good throws. The only Eagles touchdown of the game came when McNabb found rookie WR Reggie Brown for a 56-yard touchdown catch and run. Brown, who was taking the place of Terrell Owens, actually finished the game with a game-high 94 yards receiving on five receptions. With this performance, Brown was actually nominated for NFL Rookie of the Week. To vote for Reggie Brown as Rookie of the Week, click here.

Falling to 4-4 and last place in the division, the Eagles now have their work cut out for them. Philadelphia now goes into Week 10 where they will face the 5-3 Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football. This is the same Dallas team that romped the Eagles 33-10 a month ago. This game will be played at Lincoln Financial Field, so hopefully the Eagles will get back on the right track on their home turf. Eagles' nation needs some more positives in their life. Besides the fact that Brian Westbrook and David Akers each signed contract extensions that will keep them as Eagles through the 2010 season; we have nothing to be happy about right now. Hopefully next Monday night will put us back above .500.

2005-11-02T21:13:00.000-05:00

Eagles 21 - Broncos 49

They say that a picture can say 1,000 words. Well, Brian Westbrook's face here says it all. This past Sunday, the Eagles spotted the Broncos 28 points, and Denver never looked back. Moving to 4-3 on the season, Philadelphia once again gave their fans reason to question the offense's ability to come out strong and withstand a drive; as well as a running game. Not to mention, the defense gave up 49 points; the most an Eagles team has given up under head coach Andy Reid.

Denver led the Eagles 28-0 midway through the first half before QB Donovan McNabb completed his first pass. I mean, come on! Considered to be one of the top quarterbacks in the league for quite some time now, and McNabb throws 11 incompletions and one interception to open the game. And these incompletions were not just dropped balls or slightly out of reach; McNabb's attempts were just awful. Eventually Donovan bounced back and finished the day 12-34 for 283 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, the latter being the most costly. Cutting the lead to 28-21 in the third quarter and looking as if they were going to make a remarkable comeback, McNabb forced a long pass towards the end zone only to see it picked off and diminish any hopes of a comeback. WR Terrell Owens was also held without a catch in the first half. However, he did finish with three catches for 154 yards, including a career-long 91-yard catch-and-run. On a more sour note, as if getting man-handled wasn't bad enough, Terrell Owens told the team he will most likely be unavailable for the two upcoming divisional games against the Redskins and Cowboys. T.O. suffered a sprained ankle, the same ankle on which he had surgery on last year. To read the full story and check up on other Eagles' injuries, feel free to click on the link.

"You can throw all that NFC Champion talk out the window now. We're fighting now. That's the kind of attitude we have to have." SS Michael Lewis couldn't have said it any better. The Eagles have to quit relying on their name and previous seasons and start playing up to their capabilities. With over a half-dozen Pro Bowlers on the team, there is no reason why the Birds should be playing this poorly. This upcoming Sunday should once again prove to be an interesting game. Traveling down to our nation's capital, the Eagles will face their NFC East rival, Washington Redskins. The 4-3 Redskins, who share last place in the division with the Eagles, are also coming off an embarrassing loss; losing 36-0 to the New York Giants. Now I know this post has been quite harsh towards our beloved Eagles, but it is because not seeing Philly play to its potential and seeing poor performances week in and week out is frustrating. Don't you worry, I as much as anyone, have full faith in the Eagles and I do believe the kinks will be worked out. I want to leave you with a quote from Donovan McNabb. After Sunday's loss, he said, "We always have fight in us and we will continue to fight." This is proof that all 53 men on the Eagles' roster, as well as the coaching staff, have faith and confidence. And all you Eagles fans out there must have it as well.

2005-10-29T14:34:00.000-04:00

Eagles 20 - Chargers 17

I will be honest. With just over 3 minutes to go in the game when the Eagles were down 17-13, I was saying to myself, "Great, we're now 3-3; equaling all of last season's losses." Although rookie Matt Ware returned a blocked field goal 65 yards for the game winning touchdown, it once again proved to be an unconvincing victory. Football is a sport which is broken down into three different phases: offense, defense, and special teams. This past Sunday, special teams proved that they are special and the defense played arguably their best game of the season, however; once again the offense struggled most of the day and continued to lack any type of a running game.

For the first time in weeks, the Eagles drew blood first; scoring with just under five minutes to go in the first half. Donovan McNabb fired a complete pass in the back of the end zone to Terrell Owens, who made the catch for his 100th career receiving touchdown. As we are never let down after a T.O. touchdown, he celebrated by removing his towel from his pants and folding it over his arm as he raised the football high as if it were a tray; sending the message that he was "serving it up." Believing that maybe the Birds were now climbing out of their offensive slump, I was once again let down with their running attack; or lack there of for that matter. Eagles' RB Brian Westbrook is thought to be one of the most dynamic players in the NFL, so why isn't Andy Reid using him running the ball out of the backfield? It really hurts me to say this, but I don't know if Philly can return to the Super Bowl relying solely on the passing game. That is a lot of weight to put on McNabb's shoulders, not to mention the fact that he's not playing at 100%.

On the other side of the ball, Jim Johnson and his defense answered the call against the league's premier running back, LaDainian Tomlinson, who was limited to seven yards and held without a touchdown for the first time in 19 games. Holding the Chargers on a third down play and trailing 17-13 late in the game, the Eagles' "D" forced San Diego to kick a 40 yard field goal. The attempt was blocked by Quintin Mikell. Rookie Matt Ware got a perfect hop and picked up the ball and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown. With time still left on the clock, the Chargers got the ball back and tried to get into field goal range. On a third down completion by the Chargers, the defense responded as they always have and CB Sheldon Brown stripped the ball from the receiver as Darwin Walker made the recovery; sealing the victory for the Eagles.

Improving their record to 4-2 and moving into a three-way tie for first place in the NFC East, the Eagles move in to week eight where they will travel to Denver to take on the 5-2 Broncos; who remain unbeaten at home. This will be another test where the Eagles must stop Denver's strong ground game. Another key match up this Sunday will be between the Broncos' All-Pro cornerback, Champ Bailey, and the Eagles' All-Pro wide receiver, Terrell Owens. It promises to be another good week of football, so make sure to tune in at 4:15 pm on Sunday to see our Eagles fly.

2005-10-20T12:37:00.000-04:00

BYE Week

Welcome back Philly Phaithful. As if losing to Dallas wasn't bad enough, we've had to sit here for the past two weeks with that looming over our heads before we get to take on another opponent. Believe me, I know what it has been like for you these last many days: Loosing to Dallas stinks and you may be starting to have some doubts about our Philadelphia Eagles. It's natural. I understand. Nobody doubts how important this time is for you and for the Eagles and for everybody: The Eagles need to put that awful loss in Dallas behind them. And guess what, Eagles fans? You need to do the same.

Trust the Eagles. It's been a long time since the team did something that went against your most passionate urges, right? Take a look at the most recent five years. Whenever things haven't been going well, the team has responded in a positive way. This week is no different. The Eagles played a lousy game in Dallas and, hey, there is no taking it back. I'd love to, I really would. But the Eagles are 3-2 and in a fight in the NFC East. And I'd like to offer some encouraging words as we get into the meat of preparations for what is a a great test on Sunday: San Diego is a legitimate Super Bowl-contending team that plays hard-nosed, physical football. This won't be easy.

I happen to believe in the Eagles. And I'm pretty sure most of you out there do too. So how do the Eagles rebound on Sunday? First, we want to know how the Eagles can contain San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson, thought to be the best running back in the NFL; and how the offense can get back in gear with a gimpy Donovan McNabb and how the uneven special teams can rise to the challenge. I don't know the specifics of what Jim Johnson is going to throw at the Chargers, or how Andy Reid and Brad Childress are going to attack the Chargers defense, or what John Harbaugh is going to scheme to make the special teams special again. All I know is that the Eagles deserve our support and our confidence.

Good things are going to happen. They won't happen without our support. Sunday is a big game against a Super Bowl-caliber team. The Eagles are going to show up ready to give their best performance of the season. I know the fans will have the same approach: The best is yet to come. Believe it!

2005-10-12T22:53:00.000-04:00

Eagles 10 - Cowboys 33

It was only a matter of time. After putting on dismal performances in the opening quarters of each of the two games prior to the Dallas game, and spotting their opponents early leads; the Eagles again let up and early lead to the Cowboys this past Sunday. This time the deficit was too much to overcome as the Birds dropped a 33-10 decision to Dallas, suffering their opening divisional loss and dropping their record to 3-2.

The Eagles' defense had no answer in stopping QB Drew Bledsoe, WR Terry Glenn, and the rest of the Cowboys' offense. On the other hand, the Cowboys' defense had all the answers in stopping the Eagles' high-powered offense. QB Donovan McNabb was pressured most of the game, and I guess you can say that the Eagles' first play on offense was indicative as to how the whole game would fan out. Sacked on the first play from scrimmage, McNabb was never able to get in much of a rhythm. Late in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach, McNabb came out of the game with his lowest passer rating to date - 64.7. Coming off three straight 300 plus passing yard games, he was limited to 131 yards on 13-26 attempts; not to mention he was sacked four times. McNabb wasn't the only one who didn't put up his usual numbers. Terrell Owens was held to 50 yards on five receptions. No TD celebrations for T.O. this week. Also, the Eagles' versatile running back Brian Westbrook averaged just 4 yards on 9 touches.

I guess you could say there was one lone highlight on Sunday. CB Sheldon Brown for the second straight week, though he was part of an Eagles' secondary that was picked apart by Dallas QB Drew Bledsoe all day long, scored the only Eagle touchdown of the day. After fellow corner back Lito Sheppard put a big hit on Cowboys' WR Keyshawn Johnson and forced a fumble, Brown took the ball 80 yards the other way. Only this week, however, it was a case of too little, too late.

"They beat us in all phases of the game," head coach Andy Reid said. "Games like this happen. We're not going to sit here and panic. We're going to get back to work. We're going to learn from it and get back to business." On a more positive note, this week the Philadelphia Eagles enter their bye week. This will provide the team with a chance to heal their bumps and bruises, get back on track, and game plan for their next game against the San Diego Chargers. The Eagles return to Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, October 23 looking to put the past behind them, and return to their winning ways. Just a little food for thought, under head coach Andy Reid, the Eagles are 17-3 following a loss and have never lost a game the week following a bye.

2005-10-06T20:28:00.000-04:00

Eagles 37 - Chiefs 31

Another game, another heart attack. I'll be honest, after the first quarter of Sunday's game against Kansas City, I did not have an optimistic outlook. Although, I should've known that the Eagles would pull it out, and once again show us why they're the best team in the NFC. Sure enough, two of the most lethal weapons in the league stepped it up as well and had career numbers to go along with the "W." We'll get to McNabb and T.O. later.

Kansas City got off to a quick start, putting up 17 points in the first 17 minutes of play. The Eagles were not looking good, mainly in part due to the special teams. Not only did holder, Koy Detmer, muff the hold on a point after attempt, but the Eagles' fumbled a kick-off return as well as give up a touchdown on a kick return. The first sign of life from the Birds came when defensive back, Sheldon Brown, intercepted a Trent Green pass and returned it for six. Unfortunately, the Eagles still had their work cut out for them and went into halftime trailing 24-13.

Do you remember me mentioning Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens earlier? Well, coming out of halftime is where these lethal weapons came into play. T.O., who was in all smiles, had arguably his best game as an Eagle. With 11 receptions and a touchdown, this was his sixth career game with double-digit catches. I honestly couldn't believe what the Chiefs were thinking in the second half when they tried to contain T.O. with single coverage. Did they really expect to stop one of the NFL's best receivers with one defender? As far as QB Donovan McNabb, nothing seemed to stop him on Sunday. Not even the sports hernia that he's probably going to have to get surgery on after the season. McNabb also became the first Philadelphia quarterback to pass for more than 300 yards in three consecutive games. He finished the day completing 33 of 48 pass attempts for 369 yards and three touchdowns; helping the Eagles become #1 in the league in total yards.

Now that things seem to be back on track with the team, and replacement kicker Todd France seems to be holding his own, the Eagles look to continue their winning streak this Sunday. They will be heading to Texas to face their first NFC East opponent; the 2-2 Dallas Cowboys. Promising to be a hard fought game between two of the game's greatest rivals, Jim Johnson's defense has to get to veteran QB Drew Bledsoe early and often and stop the running attack of Julious Jones. Across the field on the other sideline, Bill Parcell's defense has the privilege of trying to stop McNabb and Owens. Will McNabb make this four straight games passing for over 300 yards? Tune in Sunday at 4:15 pm on Fox to see. And don't forget to check back here next week for another game recap!

2005-09-28T20:14:00.000-04:00

Eagles 23 - Raiders 20

This past Sunday's game was anything but pretty, but I'll take it. In a game that featured the NFL's two best receivers, there were hardly any fireworks. This could have been partly due to the 175 penalty yards both teams accounted for, or the fact that the Eagles' Pro Bowl place kicker went down lame on the opening kick off, or even due to the fact that Donovan McNabb was playing with a sport's hernia. You be the judge.

Often times you can tell how a game is going to go by the opening kick off. Well it seems as if this notion held true this past Sunday. On the opening kick off David Akers, who was coming into the game with an already pulled right hamstring, went down clutching that same injured hamstring. Due to a penalty on the kick off, he had to redo the kick off. Guess what, same outcome. Akers went down again in excruciating pain before they had to bring in Mike Bartrum to take over the kick off duties. With all this said and done before a second a ticked off the clock, it was then time for the game to start.

The Raiders struck first when they scored on a short swing pass from QB Kerry Collins to RB Lamont Jordan. From then on, it was time for the Eagles' "Ultimate Weapon" to come into play. Brian Westbrook had a career day on Sunday, accounting for over 200 total yards and 2 touchdowns. However, after his first touchdown, Mark Simoneau was sent in as he was the previous week to attempt the extra point, and unfortunately the outcome was not the same as his attempt was blocked, leaving the Eagles down at halftime 10-6.

In the second half the Eagles came out a little stronger than they had in the first half. McNabb battled through his injury and overcame his 40.1 first half passer rating and threw for 266 yards on 19 completions. Although Terrell Owens did not put up his usual "off the chart" numbers, he still managed to catch 5 passes for 52 yards and tally his 100th career touchdown. Not only did he become the 15th person in NFL history to accomplish this feat, I guess he proved who the better receiver was on this given day. Randy Moss accounted for zero touchdowns, while T.O. helped his team in a more important category, wins and losses.

The fourth quarter proved to be a scare for the Eagles as the Raiders were able to even the score at 20-20 with just under five minutes left in the game. However, just as we see it time after time, McNabb stepped up his game and delivered the ball to T.O., Brian Westbrook, and Greg Lewis as the team marched 75 yards to set up a game winning 23-yard field goal. The offense knew they needed to get the ball close, seeing as David Akers was in pain just kicking extra points. So with 9 seconds left in the game, Akers came out to attempt his game winning chip shot. As the ball went through the uprights, Akers fell to the ground as he cried tears of joy and pain. I guess their right, green Akers is the place to be!

Week 3 has come to a close, and the Eagles are now 2-1 heading into Week 4 against the 2-1 Kansas City Chiefs, who are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Denver Broncos this past Monday Night. Again, this promises to be a challenging game as the Eagles will be without David Akers and McNabb will be battling through the pain of his injury. Let me tell ya, it's easier to write about the Eagles when their winning, so hopefully when you check back next week, I'll have another positive post for you after the Eagles try to increase their record to 3-1.

2005-09-21T20:18:00.000-04:00

Eagles 42 - 49ers 3

Now that's how you play football! After the Week 1 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the Eagles came out on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers and left it all on the field and left no doubt as to why they're the NFC Champions. It seemed as if the team was running on all cylinders, and if this was any indication of how the rest of the season is going to fan out, then I can see the Birds flying to Detroit in February.

There were nothing but smiles on Sunday, especially when Donovan McNabb connected with Terrell Owens on the third play of the game for a 68 yard touchdown pass. Finishing the game with 279 passing yards and 5 touchdowns, tied for a career best, McNabb showed no signs of his bruised sternum which he had suffered in Week 1. However, Donovan wasn't the only one having a career day. The #5 to #81 combination accounted for 143 yards on 5 receptions for 2 touchdowns. On T.O.'s second touchdown reception, he became only the 22nd player in NFL history to go over the 10,000-yard career receiving mark. I guess it's safe to say that there is no longer "trouble in paradise" when it comes to these two.

As I said earlier, McNabb wasn't the only one having a career day. Tight End L.J. Smith caught a game and career high 9 receptions for 119 yards and one touchdown. Working the middle of the field to perfection, Smith exploited San Francisco's defensive backfield and repeatedly came through when the Eagles were in need of a first down or a large gain. As if things couldn't go any better for the Eagles, Linebacker Mark Simoneau came out of nowhere and kicked an extra point, after Kicker David Akers was on the sidelines nursing a pulled hamstring.

As impressive as putting up 42 points is, we can't forget that the 49ers did only have one field goal; obviously Jim Johnson's defense was staying true to the fact that the Eagles have one of the best defenses in the NFL. When the dust cleared, the Eagles' defense accounted for 3 interceptions and 3 sacks.

I promise you all that Week 3, against the 0-2 Oakland Raiders, is sure to be a delight. With the League's two best receivers, in Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, we're bound to see some fireworks, as well as some "words" being exchanged. So tune in to CBS at 1:00 pm on Sunday and see if the Eagles will continue on in their journey towards "The Big Dance." And you also can't forget to check back in here next week to catch a recap of the game and really see who the better receiver is. In the mean time, Fly Eagles Fly!

2005-09-15T20:13:00.000-04:00

Eagles 10 - Falcons 14

I'm not worried. Are any of you other Eagles fans worried? I sure hope not. As we all know by now, week 1 was a disappointment for the Philadelphia Eagles, suffering a 14-10 loss on Monday night to the Atlanta Falcons. However, the Eagles lost two of their first three back in 2003 and they still made it to the NFC championship. This one loss will not hold the Eagles back from Detroit.

We all knew that Monday night's game was going to be a dog fight....sense the irony? During pregame warm-ups, the Philadelphia Eagles dominant middle linebacker, Jeremiah Trotter, and the Atlanta Falcons defensive back, Kevin Mathis, got into an altercation at mid-field and each player was ejected before the game even began. With Trotter gone, the Falcons knew they could now exploit the Eagles defense, and they did.

With the arm and legs of Michael Vick and the running of T.J. Duckett and Warrick Dunn, the Falcons jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead. The first touchdown of the game came on a designed QB sweep by Vick. The second, a one yard run by Duckett. The Eagles were not in good shape, especially when considering Donovan McNabb had been shaken up after he took a helmet to his sternum by Falcon's defensive tackle, Chad Lavalais. As if things couldn't get any worse for the Eagles, one of the NFL's most accurate kickers in David Akers missed two field goals which are normally automatic for him. Even after a 78 yard drive capped off with a Westbrook touchdown, the Eagles just never seemed to find their rhythm

As I said earlier, don't worry people! Although McNabb's first quarter injury had quite an impact on him, he will be back this weekend for the Eagles home debut against the San Francisco 49ers, who are coming off a week one victory against the St. Louis Rams. And for all of you doubting the McNabb/Owens relationship, they connected seven times for 112 yards. Not bad if you ask me.

That's all for this week folks. Check back next week for a game recap against the 49ers and hopefully a more positive post. And I'll leave you with a line from former Eagle, Hugh Douglas, you gotta believe!

2005-09-08T15:44:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Philadelphia Eagles unofficial blog!

Welcome back fans to the start of the 2005-2006 NFL season. If you're like me, you are only concerned with one team, and that is the Philadelphia Eagles. Coming off a 13-3 regular season and a last minute defeat to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXIX, the Eagles have another promising season ahead of them with all the ingredients to making it to Detroit for Super Bowl XL. Offensive standouts include RB Brian Westbrook, TE L.J. Smith, WR Terrell Owens, and team captain Q Donovan McNabb. On the defensive side, the Eagles return four Pro Bowlers in LB Jeremiah Trotter, CB Sheldon Brown, SS Michael Lewis, and the mainstay of the Eagles defense, FS Brian Dawkins.

The Eagles start the 2005 season off by playing on a national stage against the same team they met in the Conference championship last year in the Atlanta Falcons. All eyes will be watching on primetime television this Monday night as the Eagles try and contain the Falcons' All Pro Weapon in QB Michael Vick. Meanwhile, the Falcons have their own worries in stopping the "Best Friend" tandem of McNabb and Owens. With John Madden and the Monday Night Football crew on hand, it's gonna be interesting to see who walks away with the victory and the Horsetrailer Player of the Game award.

In the meantime, I ask that all of you fans out there, especially Eagles fans, enjoy your opening weekend of football, but please remember that the real game will be taking place Monday night September 12 at 9:00 pm on ABC. I ask that you please check back weekly as I will be keeping track of the season and posting game recaps. For all my fellow Eagles fans, or foes for that matter, please feel free to make comments on the team or their games.

E...A...G...L...E...S...EAGLES!!!