The Eagles Throw it Back

The Philadelphia Eagles 56-23 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday proved that after a series of staggering defeats, the football doctors have a cure all. Just like “Blue Oyster Cult” needed famed music producer Bruce Dickinson to remind them that the only way to make “Don’t Fear the Reaper” a great track was to play the hell out of the cowbell, the Eagles turned to Ben Franklin and the Swedish inspired original colors of the city flag to cure their collective fever. In addition to throwback jerseys, the grow up doctor recommends a motivated McNabb and a healthy dose of Westbrook to make the Eagles all better.

The Birds wore the 1933 Blue and Yellow jerseys to celebrate the team’s 75^th anniversary of playing football in the city of brotherly love. Despite the players admitted disdain for the old school colors, they played better than they had all year. I know I’m not the only one in the Delaware Valley wondering if the Birds rock the throwbacks all season long can score 50 plus points per contest? After the game when asked a similar question, Coach Reid responded, “I really don’t want to talk about it.”

Personally, I always loved throwback jerseys. In fact, I would wear one everyday of the week if it were allowed in the dress code of my employer. Dress code or not, the mail guy will never stop struttin’ around in a Mike Vick jersey, G-Unit sneakers and a Flava Flav clock. I’m not making this up. Nothing says professionalism better than an oversized jersey and a baggy pair of jeans.

Nobody has a bigger closet full of throwbacks than Exhibit. It seemed like he wore a different one for every episode of “Pimp My Ride.” He single-handedly paid for both Mitchell and Ness’s comprehensive financial plans. His collection was so extensive that in NFL Street he even showed off a Reno Mahe jersey. Now, I wouldn’t go that far, but I have compiled a brief list of throwbacks that I covet. This list is comprised solely of Iggles and does not include current players. The criteria used for this short list include talent, personality and overall coolness. Not the most scientific means of analysis, but who cares, it’s my blog and I can do what I want.

Tommy McDonald #25 – He caught a 35-yard TD in the 1960 Championship game against the Packers. His toughness could not be measured by his physical stature, at 5’-9” 176 lbs. he's the smallest player enshrined in the Hall of Fame, rather it was his immeasurable heart that made him as strong as steel. An indicator of his fearlessness has to be the fact he was the last non-kicker to play without a facemask. Surprisingly, he never broke his nose while playing. McDonald refused to let an opponent think they got the best of him. No matter how hard of a hit he took he always made a point of bouncing right back up for the next play. When asked by Philly Inquirer reporter Bill Lyon about his ability to keep taking hits, McDonald replied, "I made that my signature, that bouncing up after a hit. And, oh, that'd make them mad. I was dying, but I didn't want to let them know that. I didn't want to let them know I was hurt. I did want them to know they weren't going to intimidate me."

Steve Van Buren #15 – Arguably the greatest Eagles of all time. My buddy John and I once said that for any bit of Eagles trivia, the most logical answer is always Steve Van Buren. Who scored the only TD in the 1948 Championship game at snow covered Shibe Park? Steve Van Buren. Who hitchhiked to that game? Steve Van Buren. Who was nicknamed "Louisiana Lightning?" Steve Van Buren. What Eagle was born in Honduras? Steve Van Buren. Who won a bronze medal in the 400 and a silver medal in the 4 * 400 in the 1952 Summer Olympics? Ollie Matson. O.K., so "The Movin’ Van" didn't win an Olympic medal, but the next time you are asked an Eagles related trivia question, answer Steve Van Buren, at least you'll feel confident that you have a good chance of being right.

Mike Quick #82 – This is actually for my brother Brian, a.k.a. Hands. We used to go parties and say that Brian was an All-State wide receiver and he wore #82 in honor of his favorite player, Mike Quick. Like no other Eagle, Quick’s name was his game. His long strides made it look like he was gracefully gliding over the field his feet not touching the ground. In addition, I prefer to watch the televised games with the sound off so I can listen to the play-by-play of Mike and Merrill Reese. I’d rather hear their call of the game over Joe Buck and Troy Aikman any day.

Vince Papale #83 - The Eagles adaptation of Rudy. Uplifting story of a hard nosed local bartender who impresses head coach Dick Vermeil in open tryouts to earn a roster spot on his hometown team. Papale’s triumph truly is an inspiration to all working class schlubs with big dreams. If you haven’t seen “Invincible” you have to put in on the top of your Netflix queue immediately. And if you really do bleed green, then I guarantee you will get emotional.

Jerome Brown #99 – The Eagles version of the Notorious B.I.G. Young star on the rise tragically dies before his time. Most people can recall when they heard JFK was assassinated or when John Lennon was shot. For me, it’s Jerome Brown and Biggie Smalls. Bring it Home for Jerome and RIP Biggie.

Wes Hopkins #48 – One of the hardest hitting safeties of all time, just ask Eric Dickerson. In the late 80’s and early 90’s, he and Andre Waters patrolled the defensive backfield with malicious intent.

Randall Cunningham #12 – I had one, but it was sold at a yard sale for $5. I’m still upset about that. “The Ultimate Weapon” revolutionized the quarterback position with his rocket arm and amazing athleticism. Randall put up ridiculous numbers, particularly in 1990 when he threw for 3466 yards, 30 TD’s and ran for 942 yards and 5 more TD’s. If ownership could’ve assembled the right personal, chiefly on the offensive line, Randall’s Eagles could have been serious contenders for the Super Bowl. Or, at least win 1 playoff game.

Chris Carter #80 – Buddy Ryan once said, “All he does is catch touchdowns.” I thought the object of the game was to score touchdowns. So why did the Eagles release him? Carter admits that he was cut due to drug and alcohol problems and credits Buddy Ryan for helping him change his life around. That’s great and all, but Chris Carter is 1 of only 4 receivers to have over 1,000 career receptions. Sure would’ve been nice to have him around instead of Charles Johnson, Torrance Small, James Thrash and Todd Pinkston.

Other players worth considering: Keith Byars, Reggie White, Mike Zordich, Andre Waters, Eric Allen, Herm Edwards, Harold Carmichael, Wilbert Montgomery, Bill Bergey, Chuck Bednarik and Ron Jaworski.

It wasn’t just the uniforms that motivated the Eagles. Given the amount of criticism the Eagles took from the media and the coaching staff, the players needed to come out and perform well. The onus was squarely on the leaders of the team to set the tone. When you talk of leaders on this team, look no further than the franchise player Donovan McNabb. No stranger to controversy, Donovan once again had the spotlight directly on him after his racially charged HBO Real Sports interview aired days before the Lions game. Add in the fact that McNabb’s performance in the first two games of the season was so bad it made Popki from “Necessary Roughness” look like Joe Montana, he had to have a near perfect outing.

Things didn’t start out too hot for Donovan. When he was announced during the team introductions, a few fans that forgot that Super Five took the Eagles to 4 straight NFC Championship games could be heard booing. I may criticize McNabb after a tough loss, but he’s undoubtedly the best quarterback this team has ever had in its 75-year existence. It’s high time that Eagles fans give him his due. But let’s get one thing clear, Philly fans’ frustration with McNabb has nothing to due with race. It has to do with winning, plain and simple. Philly polity is so desperate for a winner that sometimes the best players get vilified for not delivering the city its World Championship. By the way, I’m so sick of hearing about Boston sports fans, in particular Red Sox Nation, that I’m coining a new term for Philly fans, Philly polity. This may not be the catchiest phrase, but Philly Phanatic is already taken. I can hear Joe from South Philly say, "what da hell does polity mean?" So please feel free to voice your opinion and make suggestions for the new phrase.

The jeers quickly turned into cheers late in the 1st quarter when McNabb hit Kevin Curtis for a 68-yard touchdown strike to give the Eagles a 21-7 lead. It’s funny how one long bomb can bring hope to an entire season. All of a sudden the Eagles have a viable big play threat not named Westbrook. I’ll be the first to admit that I was hard on Kevin Curtis last week, but he certainly made me eat my hat, er made me eat crow. (Note to Governor Ed Rendell, the saying is eat crow, not eat hat. Eating hat is disgusting and frankly, makes no sense. Not that eating crow makes any sense either, but you get the picture.) Curits was noticeably upset with himself after dropping that key 4^th down pass Monday night against the Redskins and was eager to redeem himself. I think it’s safe to say that his 11 catches for 221 yards and 3 TD’s spells redemption in any language. Ask Curtis, however, and he’ll be quick to point out that he dropped the catch that would’ve broken Tommy McDonald’s single game reception record of 237 yards. Sorry Kevin, but you have to do a heck of a lot more to get on my throwback jersey wish list.

Donovan’s terrific performance was arguably the best of his career. The numbers speak for themselves, 21-26, 381 yards, 4 TD's and a perfect passer rating of 158.3. His acumen was on full display on Sunday. He threw the deep ball effortlessly. Even his movement seemed more fluid, sans bulky knee brace. McNabb shedding the knee brace was symbolic in that he was confirming that he is putting the ACL injury behind him and is ready to regain his top form. The most impressive aspect of his game was his accuracy. It's no secret that McNabb has struggled with control throughout his career. At times, he's looked worse than Adam Eaton, spraying erratic pitches all over the field. If Donovan had an E.R.A, it would've jumped by at least 10 runs after the Redskins game.

The Lions game was huge for Super Five's confidence. He needed to prove to himself, his teammates and the restless fans, that this is still his team. He had to showcase the skills that made him a Madden cover boy and perennial MVP candidate. And he did just that, at least for one more week.

On a side note, Kevin Kolb’s first professional football experience was inauspicious, at best. His line: 0-0, 0 yards, 3 carries, -2 yards and 2 sacks. Of course, he had the pleasure of playing behind third string offensive lineman. Sounds like what Randall Cunningham had to put up with.

One aspect of Sunday’s game that complimented McNabb’s great day was the awesome performance of the running backs. The key to their success was the offensive line’s ability to simply dominate the line of scrimmage. The combination of excellent blocking and varying formations allowed the three-headed monster of Westbrook, Buckhalter and Hunt to run for a combined 154 yards and 4 TD’s.

If the Eagles are going to be contenders, they have to have a balanced offensive attack. Throwing the ball 50 times a game will not win us ballgames. Last season was a perfect example of the need to stay committed to running the ball. When McNabb went down and Jeff Garcia took the helm, it was the running game that carried the offense and the team to the playoffs. We need more of that to have success this season. And these 3 backs compliment each other nicely in that they each bring something different to the table.

Correll Buckhalter can be the guy who can get the tough yardage up the middle and the guy who can break away form the pack when he kicks in that extra gear. His multiple knee injuries have prevented him from having an outstanding career, but he still can do some positive things. On Sunday, he looked light on his feet carrying the rock 7 times for 43 yards and a score.

Tony Hunt was drafted in the 3^rd round to be the big bruising back that the Eagles didn’t have for those clutch short yardage situations that can be the difference between winning and losing games. He finally saw game action in the goal line package and was rewarded with his first career NFL TD.

The spotlight, however, clearly belonged to none other than Brian Westbrook. He continues to display his uncanny agility and elusiveness game after game. With 14 carries for 110 yards and 2TD’s and 5 catches for 111 yards and 1 TD, Brian Westbrook became the 7th player in NFL history to record 110+ yards rushing and 110+ yards receiving in the same game, according to Stats, Inc. Those numbers have to be good for at least 50 Madden gamer points. They certainly are good enough to put him in the top 5 rushing leaders in the league, ahead of LaDanian Tomlinson, Larry Johnson and Shaun Alexander, and top 15 in receptions. If he stays healthy, he has a legitimate chance to run and catch for over 1,000 yards. He’s that good.

Being an Iggles fan is the best. Our attitudes change week to week, depending on the outcome of Sunday’s game. We think a loss is the end of the season, and the world for that matter. The next week, they blow out a mediocre team and we think they’re capable of scoring 50 points per game on their way to a title. We are quick to trounce on our star quarterback when it looks like he can’t hit the broad side of a barn or blows chunks in the biggest game of his life. But when he’s on his game, it seems as if nothing can stop him from making the opposition dizzy watching the deep balls fly by. For now, it’s time to start up the bandwagon and grab your favorite throwback jersey because, all of a sudden, this season just got a lot more interesting.

Monday Night Letdown

The biggest night in pro football is Monday night. It’s the chance for players to showcase their talents in front of a national audience and represent their high school alma mater. Monday, September 17^th, 2007 was the Eagles only MNF appearance all year, and for 10 year veteran Takeo Spikes, the first of his career. Instead of establishing themselves as a title contender, the Eagles firmly entrenched themselves at the bottom of the NFC East Standings.

Last night’s 20-12 loss at Lincoln Financial field was not as pathetic as the debacle on Reggie White night two years ago against the Seahawks, but it was not much better. In that game the Eagles were embarrassed 42-0 on a night that was supposed to be dedicated to the Minister of Defense. With Donovan McNabb out with a sports hernia injury and backup Mike McMahon taking the snaps, that game was all but over before the opening kickoff. Let’s just say that expectations were pretty low for that game. The same could not be said for this Monday night game.

After the week one flop against the Packers, the Eagles needed a strong outing against NFC East rival Washington Redskins. (On a side note, if the mascot of the Illinois has been deemed too insensitive and had to be retired, how do the Redskins get to maintain their name?) An 0-2 start would not be acceptable for the championship starved Philadelphia, especially against teams that a title contender like the Eagles should not lose to. The faithful came in droves to tailgate as early as 8:00 a.m., over twelve hours before game time, for the home opener. Miller Lite and Cheeseteaks were consumed for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Fly, Eagles, Fly was sung over and over again by all parking lot patrons.

As the Philly locals stumbled into the stadium for game time, the Eagles were introduced amid an explosive fireworks display. The stage was set for the Eagles to return to the top of the NFL charts like Jay Z’s “Kingdom Come.” So why did Monday night’s performance bomb worse than Puff Daddy’s “Forever?” The list of reasons is long and undistinguished. On offense, the Eagles converted only 4 out of 16 3^rd downs, the quarterback threw the ball high, wide, long and short, the wide receivers couldn’t get open, and only one play gained over 20 yards. The defense missed tackles, failed to apply pressure on the opposing team’s quarterback, was unable to cover Santana Moss, and couldn’t get off the field on 3^rd downs as the Skins converted over 50% of their 3rd down plays..

While all of these were grounds for Philadelphia’s 2^nd loss in as many games, I want to dissect why they have only produced one trip to pay dirt in 22 offensive possessions. Specifically, it’s their struggles in the red zone. In the contest against the Redskins, they failed to score 1 touchdown in all 4 red zone opportunities. Touchdowns beat field goals any day of the week. Let’s take a deeper look at each chance they had inside Washington’s 20-yard line.

1. Second Quarter: Redskins 3 - Eagles 0

After a dazzling 27-yard run by Westbrook in which he eluded no less than six defenders, the Eagles had 1^st and 10 at the Redskin 13. After that run, Westbrook went to sidelines for a breather and Buckhalter got the call for a 3-yard run. On 2^nd down, Westbrook could be seen shaking his head in the backfield before the snap, obviously frustrated with the play call. When Westbrook, and the rest of the offense, watches the film of this game they should be even more aggravated with this play as it could have resulted in a touchdown if second year man Hank Baskett came back to the ball to make the catch rather than dropping to his knees and waiting for the ball to arrive to him. Had he taken two steps towards the ball, he would have been in perfect position to make a move on Redskin corner Carlos Rogers and stride in for a touchdown. Instead, the pass resulted in whopping 4-yard gain. I watched this play in slow motion at least 10 times and each time it feels like a stab wound. On the next play, McNabb had Reggie Brown open in the end zone on a slant route, but he put too much mustard on the ball and the ball sailed high. As ex-Eagle quarterback Ron Jaworski insightly put it, “that’s a ball you gotta put right on the belt buckle.” After the ball fell incomplete, one of the MNF cameras caught a great shot of how noticeably upset Reggie Brown was with the poor throw. One thing the Eagles can’t afford is for the quarterback and receivers not to be on the same page. These two incompletions are great examples of just how incompatible the quarterback and receivers are at this stage in the season. Maybe they should do some sort of team building activity, like a retreat at Camp Tockwaugh.

Result: Akers 24-yard Field Goal: Redskins 3 - Eagles 3.

2. 3^rd Quarter, 3:07 left: Redskins 13 - Eagles 6

After two second half possessions yielded no progress, the third time the Eagles had the ball they were able to move down the field thanks to a McNabb scramble, a Westbrook run, a play action pass to Baskett and a screen pass to Westbrook. The Birds found themselves on the doorstep for only the second time in the game with 1^st and 10 on the 14-yard line. The Eagles came out looking to pass, big surprise. The play was designed poorly against the Redskins zone as the receivers set up camp right no farther than 2 yards away from the nearest defender. McNabb having nowhere to throw the ball did what only he does so well, he threw a bullet right into the ground in front of Westbrook. On 2^nd down, the Eagles ran Westbrook to the left side picking up only 2 yards. The Eagles have become so predictable with their play calling that it’s almost like playing the original Tecmo Bowl where there were only 4 plays to chose from, 2 run plays and 2 pass plays. If your opponent was anything like my brothers, then they were most certainly pulling a Bellichek trying to see what play you were picking on your controller. Cheating isn’t even necessary against Eagles because they consistently call a poorly designed pass play on 1st down that results in an incompletion and then call a for a run on 2^nd down. That normally leaves them facing a 3^rd and long situation where McNabb can’t find anyone open past the marker so he dumps it off to a running back well short of the 1^st down. And that’s exactly what happened in this case.

Result: Akers 26-yard Field Goal: Redskins 13 - Eagles 9

3. 4^th Quarter 9:16 left: Redskins 20 - Eagles 9

The Eagles had to convert on a 4^th down to continue their comeback effort and did so on a McNabb fastball completion to Jason Avant. On the next play, McNabb found Westbrook on an underneath crossing route and he ran to the Redskins 16 yard line setting up a 2^nd and 3. A feebly blocked inside handoff to Westbrook picked up half a yard, at best, on the following play. On 3^rd down and a long 2, it was a pass to Westbrook in the left flat that picked up 4 yards for the 1^st down at the 11-yard line. The Eagles liked that idea so much, that they tried a pass to Westbrook again, this time in the right flat, but for no gain. On 2^nd and 9, McNabb’s rifled the ball into the dirt again. Looking at this throw again, McNabb never followed through on his throwing motion. Just like a pitcher, a quarterback gets his strength and balance form his legs. So it’s imperative to focus on not only bringing your right arm to your left abdomen, but also to bring your plant foot, the right foot, forward on the follow through. McNabb’s right foot on this throw was completely stationary. His mechanics are still off from the knee surgery 10 months ago. In this case, it was probably good that the throw was hammered into the ground. If it had any air under it, it would have been an easy interception. That brought up 3^rd and 9 and that meant the obligatory dump off to a running back with no chance of reaching the 1^st down. Bring on Akers.

Result: Akers 22-yard Field Goal: Redskins 20 – Eagles 12

4. 4^th Quarter 2:20 left: Redskins 20 – Eagles 12

The Redskins just missed a long bomb to Santana Moss that would have sealed the deal for sure. Moss beat Will James all night with comebacks, outs and double moves and this post route was no exception. In fact, James was toasted so many times that I thought Izell Jenkins was playing conerback for the Iggles again. Thanks to Campbell's overthrow, the Eagles got the ball back with a little more than 4 minutes left in the game. With the Redskins playing a prevent defense, the offense was able to move the ball up field with lot of dink and dunk underneath passes and a key 4^th down conversion to Reggie Brown. After that, McNabb was able to roll out to his right and complete a pass to Hank Baskett inside the 15 to the Redskins 13 yard line. On 1^st and 10, the Redskins brought pressure, but the O-line couldn’t pick it up and Donovan’s pass was hurried for an incompletion. On 2^nd down, McNabb found Curtis for a short gain of 4. The next play, the Skins brought pressure, Donovan read it perfectly and had Curtis wide open on an out route, but the pass was well off target. What should have been a sure 6 points ended up being a big goose egg, a 0. On 4^th down, McNabb’s pass was to Curtis was actually on target, but it was broken up by Laron Landry’s hit. Shortly after Curtis dropped that pass, over 5,000 fantasy football managers released Kevin Curtis from their roster. And who could blame them, I don’t even own a fantasy team and I dropped him too.

To win football games, red zone opportunities must be converted into touchdowns, not field goals. Just ask Joe Gibbs. With 41 seconds remaining in the first half, Andy Reid burned a timeout because his special teams unit only had 9 men on the field, Gibbs decided not to kick a chip shot field goal and take a shot for the end. The reward was a perfectly executed corner route thrown from quarterback Jason Campbell to tight end Chris Cooley for six points. Of course, had the Eagles secondary, specifically Joselio Hanson, just kept everything in front of them on that play, there wouldn’t have been a Redskins touchdown. That score was a major momentum swing going into halftime for the Redskins and an equally major blow to the Eagles collective confidence. It just goes to show, when you have the ball inside the opponent’s 20 yard-line, it’s imperative to come away with touchdowns and not settle for field goals. It’s especially important if you intend on defending your home turf in front of a national audience.

The Eagles inability to out up 6 points when they have scoring opportunities has been a major problem in the two games they played this season. Even more troublesome for this squad is the missing sense of urgency and lack of emotion from the players. If the Birds want to win at least 1 game, someone needs to light a fire under these guys to get them excited about competing in the arena. To take a page out of the Andy Reid guide to press conferences, the coaching staff, and more importantly, the team leaders "need to do a better job there."

More to come on leadership...

Reno 911

There are five things that I know about the Eagles 2007 season opener versus the Packers in the not so frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. First and foremost, the Birds lost 16-13. Second, the Eagles offense didn’t prove themselves to be elite and the defense performed sufficiently. Third, all-ESPN quarterback Brett Favre started his 257^th consecutive game. Fourth, muffed punts suck and special teams matter. Fifth, like a high school couple that breaks up one week and gets back together the next, Andy Reid and Reno Mahe are a couple once again.

The few things that I know, however, are far outnumbered by countless mysteries. But that really comes as no surprise given the history of management’s less than forthright communication strategy.

As close as he normally holds his cards, Reid seemed to clench them a little tighter to his man boobs this off-season. With a healthy, or at least 75-90% healthy, Donavan McNabb at quarterback and the elusive and electric Brian Westbrook at running back, would the once potent and high-powered offensive machine score 27 points per game again? How serious are the injuries to Shawn Andrews (ankle) and LJ Smith (hernia, not sports hernia)? I don’t know the difference between a regular hernia and a sports hernia, but I have to think that they are neither comfortable nor pleasant. Can the average receiving corps make extraordinary plays, or even create enough separation to get open?

Sunday’s game by no means provided definitive answers to these questions, but it did reveal some trends worth mentioning. McNabb looked rusty completing a mere 16 of his 33 attempts for 184 yards and one TD. He threw one bad interception and should have had another, but fortunately the defender flat out dropped an easy pick. He shifted around in the pocket adequately to his credit; however, Super Five didn’t have much time thanks to a notably poor performance from left guard Todd Herremans. When McNabb had the opportunity to turn tuck the ball and run to pick up yardage, he seemed hesitant and a step slow.

In the running game, B West had a fair performance with 20 carries for 85 yards. While those numbers aren’t outstanding, it appeared that he was on the cusp of breaking off a big run. But as is usually the case with the playcalling under Reid’s tenure, once the game got tight in the second half, the running plays were discarded. The most frustrating part of this strategy came in the fourth quarter. After the defense forced a Brett Favre fumble, the offense was given great field position at the Green Bay 38 with a little over four minutes remaining. After the game, Brian Dawkins said that given the offense’s weapons, he had no doubt that they would put the game away.

A closer look at the playcalling and execution at this crucial moment leaves this so-called powerful offense with much to be desired. On the first play, Buckhalter got the call with a run up the middle that was stuffed for a four-yard loss. Why wasn’t the Eagles most explosive weapon, Brian Westbrook included in this package? He wasn’t in until the next play, when a Shotgun draw play was called and he picked up two yards. On 3^rd and 12 at the 40, McNabb was flushed out of the pocket and managed to get two yards before KGB tripped him up. That would have set up Akers for a 57-yard field goal attempt, but Herremans was flagged for a ten yard holding penalty. The penalty moved the ball back to midfield and left the Birds with a long 3^rd down and 22 situation. McNabb was pressured, again, but managed to heave a bomb to Kevin Curtis that was off target and fell incomplete.

Overall, it’s difficult to gauge just how out of sync the offense looked. I n preseason, it looked as if the Packer defense was in position to be one of the better defensive squads in the NFC. They have an aggressive defensive line led by Kampen and KGB that repeatedly beat the Eagles offensive line off the ball. They have athletic linebackers in Nick Barnet and A.J. Hawk (with a name like that he should be an Eagle) and a pair of decent corners in ex-eagle Al Harris (whose dreadlocks have gotten ridiculously long) and former Heisman trophy winner Charles Woodson.

As the for the Eagles defense, the biggest move the Eagles made was the release of Pro Bowler and team leader, Jeremiah Trotter. There’s no denying that Trott’s knees have deteriorated faster than Britney Spears’ career, but wasn’t he good enough to produce for at least one more year? At least he was valuable enough as a locker room presence to keep him on to be a veteran role model for the younger and untested group of linebackers. Will the D-line tandem of Mike Patterson and Broderick Bunkley play up to their first round draft pick expectations? Will Sean Considine prove that he can play a full game without getting run over?

Although the defense didn’t allow Brett Favre’s offense to score one touchdown, it would be hasty to conclude that this year’s defense will be as dominating as the Gang Green. I say that because aside from Favre and Donald Driver, the Green Bay offense does not have much in the form of game breakers. Ahman Green got out of Packer country in favor of the Houston Texans, leaving rookie Brandon Jackson with the starting running back role. The Eagles, who struggled to stop anyone from running all over them, held young Jackson to 40 yards on the ground and only allowed a total of 48 rushing to the Pack.

While the run D looked good for most of the game, the most concerning part about the defense’s performance was the poor tackling in critical situations. Specifically, the play that had made all the highlight shows and added to the vast library of Brett Favre’s miracle plays should have resulted in a sack and possibly a fumble if not for poor wrap and tackle technique. It was 3^rd and 10 on the Eagles 42, a sack for a six yard loss would have halted the Packers drive that eventually led to the game tying field goal. Instead, I had to listen to Moose Johnson and Tony Siragusa drool all over how after 16 years, Brett Favre still has that “gunslinger” mentality where he is always looking to make a play. I hate Brett Favre more than I hate Ben Stiller in “There’s Something About Mary.” But I hate how the media treats him even more.

These issues aside, at least there was some semblance of consistency on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. John Runyan suited up in his 161^st consecutive game as a starter. Brian Dawkins patrolled the secondary with the intent to cause turnovers and jack up the opposition with thunderous hits. Special teams, however, had less stability and even less certainty. Longtime coach John Harbaugh moved on the coach the secondary, leaving Rory Seagrest in charge of the often forgotten and overlooked third aspect of football. While David Akers decided to put his Nascar career on hold for at least one more year to split the uprights, veteran punter Dirk Johnson was released in favor of the Aussie rules lead footed footballer Sav Rocca.

It was believed that Olympic skier Jeremy Bloom would take over the kick and punt returning duties, however, after his pedestrian preseason showing in which he injured his toe and failed to elude any defender, he was released. The most disturbing part of the failed Jeremy Bloom experiment is not that the Eagles kept him on the injured reserve last year due to a sore hamstring, it’s that the Eagles brass were so arrogant that they didn’t have a contingency plan of bringing a dependable veteran if Bloom wasn’t exactly what they thought he could be. Andy Reid and Tom Heckert assumed that they could just plug in Greg Lewis into the punt returner role even though he never fielded a punt in his career. Then they went out and searched the waiver wire long and hard for a player that a) was an ex-Eagle; b) was recently released; and c) sliced open his knee on a barbed wire fence running away from a dog. The player that fit that description could only be JR Reed. Given their lack of experience in the return game, hoping G Lew and JR Reed would be dependable, or at least catch the ball clealy, was a giant leap of faith.

It’s obvious that the two special teams turnovers cost the Eagles the game on Sunday. The muff punts by Lewis and Reed directly resulted in 10 points for the Packers. In a game in which the final score is 16-13, it doesn’t take a Fields Medal Winner to deduce that those 10 points were the deciding factors in the outcome. It should also be clear that special teams can’t be taken for granted. In fact, a 2005 USAToday.com poll listed NFL special teams player the 8^th worst job in sports. Horse racing groom was listed as the worst. But it brings up a good debate. Would you rather be knee deep in manure all day or be a wedge buster? I’d actually choose wedge buster. After all, Mr. Invincible, Vince Papale parlayed his career into a movie deal and an executive position with Sallie Mae. Steve Tasker is now the Buffalo Bills GM and was recently enshrined in the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame. I’d take those career paths over being smothered in horse feces any day.

The emotion and fire that special teamers play with can set the tone for the entire team. But don’t get the wrong idea Andy, returning kicks and punts is no easy task. Some might say that it’s one of the hardest things to do in sports. A return man must possess particular athletic skills to even have a chance at succeeding in one of the most challenging positions in football. He has to have a boxer’s fearlessness to not be afraid to take the opponent’s best punch, a point guard’s intelligence and vision to anticipate the play before it takes place and an outfielder’s ability to instantly judge the path of a ball in flight and quickly get into position to field it.

If a player has these characteristics, then there are five steps that he must follow step by step to be successful at returning. First and foremost, catch and protect the ball. This cannot be stressed enough. Second, when returning punts, call for a fair catch if you will not have more than five yards of space between you and the nearest defender when you catch the ball. Third, the rules for fielding punts are different than fielding kick returns. Specifically, on kick returns, once the ball crosses ten yards, then it is a live ball that both the kicking and receiving team can recover. For punts, the receiving team cannot recover a punt unless a player on the receiving team touches the ball first. In other words, the receiving player does not have to catch the ball. (If you are JR Reed, please reread the previous sentence.) Fourth, when receiving a punt, know where you are on the field. Do not field a punt inside your own 10-yard line. Chances are it will bounce in the end zone and your team will start at the 20. Fifth, if and only if, rules 1-4 have been followed in order, use your athleticism and speed to make defenders miss and try to gain positive yards.

Andy Reid and Tom Heckert made the critical mistake of trying to reorder the steps and have #5 become #1. Even that effort was critically flawed in that the personnel that they tried to use role didn’t have the requisite skills. If you are going to base your entire return game on putting someone with blazing speed and supernatural juke moves, then go with someone like the human joystick himself, Dante Hall, not G Lew and JR Reed. Hall was a free agent in the offseason before he signed with the Rams. Although he only returned one punt for a touchdown last year, his performance in speaks for itself. Playmakers like Hall, and especially Chicago’s Devin Hester, can be an equally effective weapon in the return game as any player on offense. In Hester’s case, it could be argued that he is a bigger threat than the entire Bear offense. Factoring in Grossman’s penchant for turnovers, Chicago’s best chance at scoring is with the ball in Hester’s hands.

In accordance with the necessary skills and the mental capacity to grasp the 5 rules, there is only one man on the Eagles roster who fits the bill. And his first name isn’t the name of a city. If watching 80’s movies over and over again has taught me anything, it’s that “there are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body. Now you stick to that, and everything else is cream cheese.” Andy, please heed coach Finstock’s advice, do not gamble this season with Reno Mahe. He is not as sure handed as advertised (he’s fumbled 7 times in his career) and he has never taken a return to the house.

The Eagles should put their best player in a position to positively impact the game. Let Brian Westbrook return punts. When Eagles opponents’ game plan against the Eagles, they focus on one theme, stop 36. What better way for the Eagles to create an opportunity for Westbrook to showcase his elusiveness in the open space then by letting him field punts? The main critiques to this notion claim that it’s too risky to have Westbrook return punts. He could sustain an unnecessary injury, they say. Guess what, he could get hurt on any play, not just punt returns. That being said, one of the ways Westbrook has evolved as a veteran is how he positions his body to minimize the impact of a tackle. When all other options to gain more yards are exhausted, he manages to get lower than would be tacklers to avoid the big hit.

Not only does Brian Westbrook have the physical and mental capacity to return punts, he knows the fives steps one by one. No Eagles fan will soon forget Westbrook’s punt return in the 4^th quarter against the Giants in 2003 propelled the Birds to a come from behind 14-10 victory that day and on to a 13-3 season. And if it hadn’t been for an injury to his tricep against the Redskins late in the regular season, Brian’s contribution in the playoffs could have been the difference in the NFC Championship game versus the Panthers. Recall that the Panthers D feasted on McNabb as they knew that the Eagles had no running game without Westbrook. By the way, Westbrook’s injury wasn’t sustained on a special teams play, it happened on a run play in which he has dragged down by Jeremiah Trotter.

Game changing, season altering feats of athleticism can happen on any given play in a professional football game. Muffed punts and losses, however, happen when poor planning (no Jeremy Bloom contingency plan) and incorrect personnel decisions lead to putting incapable players (G Lew and JR Reed) in situations that they are not prepared to handle (punt returns). On again, off again high school relationships never work out and they often end badly, especially if one them has the first name of a city. Andy, it’s time to grow up, make the educated decision and cut ties with Reno Mahe and let Brian Westbrook return punts.