Bleeding Green Nation: FanPosts

Tighten Your Holsters: Eagles vs. Cowboys Week 9 Game Preview

2009-11-07T07:15:12Z

Prior to last week’s annihilation of the New York Giants, the Eagles weren’t considered by many to hold a true “identity” as a team. After all, they’d beaten up on several teams, but also found themselves on the losing end of a dismal matchup with the Raiders, and struggled finding an overall consistency. However, with their Week 8 performance, the Birds captured a great sense of both offensive explosion and defensive dominance, defeating the Giants to place themselves atop the NFC East. This week, the Eagles (5-2) will once again face a division rival, but this time around, the winner of the contest will gain sole possession of the division lead, and position themselves as prime contenders for solid season stretch runs, and quite possibly even the postseason. Of course, there is plenty of football left for almost any team to compete at a high level and push for success, but as we edge the season midway point, the standings are beginning to shape. Tomorrow night’s game with the Dallas Cowboys (5-2) is arguably the most important game of the week in regards to the entire slate of NFL competitions, for it will grant one team a motivating victory and top spot in the NFC East, and the other a big loss, dropping them from the top of the division. No matter the outcome, this Week 9 showdown between two high-powered squads is sure to deliver an evening filled with highlights, tension, and pure fun.

Week 9 Opponent: Dallas Cowboys

2008 Record: 9-7

Last Meeting Between Teams: Week 16, 2008: PHI-44 DAL-6

Evaluation: Dallas has long been an organization centered around acquiring top, big-name players and creating a team of superstars, so to speak. Team owner and general manager Jerry Jones has always been in support of making controversial moves to improve his franchise. Ever since his reign began in 1989, the seemingly stubborn California native has executed questionable transactions, from firing legendary head coach Tom Landry to–just over the last few seasons–harboring possibly three of the league’s most arrogant players, in outspoken WR Terrell Owens, former suspended criminal CB Adam “Pacman” Jones, and DT Tank Johnson, who had several “run-ins” with the law. Despite these efforts to cram cocky, yet talented players on the Dallas roster, Jones has failed to bring his team to a playoff victory since 1996. Last year, inconsistency and perhaps a bit of over-confidence were named as strong factors in the Cowboys’ collapse to miss the postseason, especially in the final game of the season in which the ‘Boys needed to beat the Eagles, but embarrassed themselves, crumbling and losing by a humiliating score of 44-6. In the offseason, Dallas did rid of Owens and Adam Jones, and despite not adding too many significant names to the mix, has been mostly on track thus far, winning 5 of their first 7 games and proving that they have a young and high-potential offense, as well as a stout defensive unit. The Cowboys are certainly capable of knocking the Eagles from the top of the division, but so are the Birds. Tomorrow’s game will probably depend on which team turns the ball over the least, and which team capitalizes on it’s opportunities.

Key Matchups:

OLB Akeem Jordan (PHI) vs. TE Jason Witten (DAL): Because the Eagles will primarily place MLB Will Witherspoon closer to the defensive front to contain Dallas’ running attack, one of Jordan’s biggest responsibilities will be to cover Witten. This season, the young LB has done an excellent job of pass coverage, as he has already notched 2 interceptions. However, Witten is simply one of the best Tight Ends in the entire league, and will need to be shut down. As we witnessed in almost all of the Eagles’ first few games, the team had trouble keeping opposing TEs under wraps, but lately they’ve done a quality job. As long as the athletic Jordan can stick to Witten, the defense should have a lot less to worry about in regards to holding the Cowboy offense.
TE Brent Celek (PHI) vs. OLB DeMarcus Ware (DAL): Just as Jason Witten must be stopped for the Eagles to have success on defense, the Cowboys will have focus on Philly’s own dangerous TE–Brent Celek. The 3rd-year player leads the team with 37 receptions, and is on pace to experience a 1,000-yard receiving campaign. Ware recently earned a contract extension from the Cowboys for his hard work on the defensive side of the ball, and the aggressive LB is clearly the life of the Dallas D. Not only will Celek have to break free on catching routes to succeed, but he will also have to do a nice job blocking Ware in situations where a blitzing play is called and the 6′4″, 262 lb. beast is sent in to rush the Eagles’ passing game.
WR Jeremy Maclin (PHI) vs. CB Terence Newman (DAL): The Eagles will likely have their number 1 WR, DeSean Jackson, double covered for most of the game, and therefore the rookie Maclin might see more of an opportunity to shine. He will be matched up with the veteran Newman on the majority of his snaps, and this player battle might turn out to be one of the most significant of the bunch. Of course, playing in his 7th season in the league, Newman still possesses decent speed and coverage techniques, but he has been overcome quite a few times this year. Especially with the acceleration and awareness that Maclin has displayed incredibly so far, this matchup may just turn dramatically in favor of the Eagles, but you can never take anything for granted.
Defensive Line (PHI) vs. QB Tony Romo (DAL): While the factor of pressure on Romo is absolutely important, there isn’t a need to list a specific player in this situation, as the entire Eagle defensive line will need to prove their dominance. The Birds have exploited Romo’s tendency to throw inaccurately and make crucial mistakes when put into uncomfortable positions before, and of course they will attempt to do so again. If the DEs, particularly Trent Cole, can edge Romo in and out of the pocket, and the DTs can place pressure up the middle of the line, then there is almost a guarantee that at least one mistake will be made by the Cowboys’ passer. After all, if any Quarterback is constantly surrounded by opposing defenders, he is bound to make a bad decision at some point in time.

What to Watch For…

Although starting RB Brian Westbrook is expected back in the lineup after missing last week with a concussion, the first taste of reserve acquisition P.J. Hill may be offered versus the Cowboys. If Westbrook is relieved quite often, as planned, then we are sure to see some more action from rookie backup LeSean McCoy, and probably even FB Leonard Weaver because of his great performance against the Giants. But with short-yardage situations a common factor in these types of hard-fought games, we might get a glimpse of Hill on the field, at least acting as a decoy if not anything. The undrafted rookie is a powerful runner, and at 5′10″, 218 lbs., is the largest Running Back on the roster. We might instead see 3rd-string Eldra Buckley take these types of carries, but the thought of Hill making his debut on the field seems possible this week.
One Cowboy playing tomorrow evening will be facing his former team. That player is backup CB and emergency kick/punt returner Allen Rossum, who began his career in 1998 with the Eagles. Rossum was only signed by Dallas midway through October after being released by the 49ers, and isn’t expected to see much playing time, but the fact that he used to be a Bird–and was brought into the NFL via the Draft by the Birds–is something interesting to ponder as gameday approaches.
Because OLB Chris Gocong is tending to a pair of leg injuries, rookie 7th-round Draft pick Moise Fokou is in line to make his first career start vs. the Cowboys. Gocong is listed as “Doubtful” to play, and therefore Fokou has been taking repetitions in practice as the first-team Outside Linebacker, opposite Akeem Jordan. The rookie out of Maryland has primarily been a special teams player so far this season, but saw a bit of playing time last week when Gocong exited the game. In addition to Fokou’s likely start, it is also expected that Sean Jones will start at FS for the second week in a row. Macho Harris continues to recover from an ankle sprain he sustained a few weeks ago, but is listed as “Questionable” and judging by staff comments, it doesn’t seem very accurate to assume Harris will participate in Week 9.

Injury Report (Eagles):

RB Brian Westbrook (concussion) Questionable

WR DeSean Jackson (sprained ankle) Probable

WR Jeremy Maclin (foot pain) Probable

WR Kevin Curtis (surgery; sprained knee) Out

OT Jason Peters (lingering effects of sprained ankle) Probable

OG Max Jean-Gilles (strained shoulder) Probable

OG Nick Cole (knee pain) Probable

OG Todd Herremans (surgery; foot stress fracture) Probable

DE Chris Clemons (shoulder, elbow pain) Probable

DE Darren Howard (ankle pain) Probable

DE Victor Abiamiri (sprained knee) Doubtful

DT Brodrick Bunkley (knee soreness) Questionable

OLB Chris Gocong (strained quad muscle, strained hamstring) Doubtful

CB Dimitri Patterson (strained quad muscle) Questionable

FS Macho Harris (sprained ankle) Questionable

Projected Team Lineups:

Philadelphia Eagles
OFFENSE	DEFENSE
QB Donovan McNabb	LDE Victor Abiamiri
RB Brian Westbrook	LDT Mike Patterson
FB Leonard Weaver	RDT Brodrick Bunkley
WR Jeremy Maclin	RDE Trent Cole
LT Jason Peters	WLB Akeem Jordan
LG Todd Herremans	MLB Will Witherspoon
C Jamaal Jackson	SLB Moise Fokou
RG Nick Cole	LCB Asante Samuel
RT Winston Justice	FS Sean Jones
TE Brent Celek	SS Quintin Mikell
WR DeSean Jackson	RCB Sheldon Brown

Dallas Cowboys
OFFENSE	DEFENSE
QB Tony Romo	LDE Marcus Spears
RB Marion Barber III	NT Jay Ratliff
FB Deon Anderson	RDE Igor Olshansky
WR Roy Williams	SLB Anthony Spencer
LT Flozell Adams	MILB Bradie James
LG Kyle Kosier	MOLB Keith Brooking
C Andre Gurode	WLB DeMarcus Ware
RG Leonard Davis	LCB Terence Newman
RT Marc Colombo	FS Ken Hamlin
TE Jason Witten	SS Gerald Sensabaugh
WR Miles Austin	RCB Mike Jenkins

As confident or nervous as you may be about this game, whenever the Eagles and Cowboys meet to face off in yet another classic rivalry battle, there is definitely a load of excitement, and with the Eagles riding at the top of the division and a chance to take it for themselves, there is no reason to be looking down upon Sunday night.

Moise Fokou Likely to Start at OLB

2009-11-07T03:25:47Z

With starting Outside Linebacker and quietly consistent defender Chris Gocong nursing a pair of leg injuries, it is becoming increasingly likely that rookie Moise Fokou will play this Sunday’s game versus the Cowboys as one of the three leading LBs. Fokou was selected in the 7th and final round of this year’s Draft, but surprisingly appeared one of the franchise’s better Linebackers while displaying his abilities in Training Camp and the preseason.

If Gocong indeed is held out of action this week, Fokou (pictured) will make his first career start, but has already seen the field enough to understand the physicality the game requires to succeed as a defensive starter. Head coach Andy Reid stressed that the former University of Maryland star is excited and prepared for the opportunity, saying: “He’s worked hard,” “Even when Chris [Gocong] was healthy, he worked in there during practice.” So far this season, Fokou has tallied 6 tackles as a reserve LB/special teams player. Last week, when Gocong exited the lineup for a few drives, the rookie stepped in and–despite not recording a load of statistics–assisted pressure the Giants’ passing game, as well as force running plays outside for little gain.

While Fokou will likely be on the field for most of the game in his first starting appearance, Gocong expects to be back on the field by Week 10, when the Eagles face the San Diego Chargers. He is currently tending to a strained quad muscle, as well as a hamstring strain, and was unable to participate in three practice sessions over the past few days, hence his current “Doubtful” game status.

In other injury news, RB Brian Westbrook sat out of today’s practice to give his concussion an extra day to heal for Sunday’s rivalry contest. His absence from this afternoon’s drills and preparation has been said to be because of precautionary reasons, and that the starting offensive threat did not suffer any set-backs in his head injury. He is still expected to play this week and contribute significantly to the game strategy, according to Reid.

Dallas Offense: Are you ready McDermott?

2009-11-06T19:51:54Z

Sunday will show us more about McDermott than any game this year. Or at least, any game except one:

New Orleans 48

Total Plays

Total Yards

421

Passing

288

Rushing

133

OK, so every other game, the D has shown up big, giving up an average of 14 ppg if you take that one away. FO analysis backs this idea up, giving the Eagles the #1 ranking to date according to their metrics. Other than that one game, this defense has been by any measure great. But there is that one game.

In the defense of the defense, there were 4 turnovers that game by the offense. In prosecution of the defense, they gave up 8.4 yards per pass play and 4.6 yards per rush, while generating only 2 sacks. That ain't gonna cut it.

So, NO has, by FO standards, the 2nd best offfense in the league. So, do we cut them slack? Well, if we do we have to admit that all their domination came against terrible offenses. The only above average offense we did well against was the Giants (#15). So, that's 1-0 against good offenses, 0-1 against great ones.

The trouble is that Dallas has a better offense than does the Giants, ranking #5 overall. We know that McDermott can coach defense. To be honest, I was quite worried about him before the season began, and he's calmed a lot of my fears to date. But he was frankly totally out coached in the Saints game.

Dallas comes in with a balanced attack, big play weapons, and a terrific running back who can pound the ball. There not a cutsie as the Saints, but here's a chance for redemption. Will he rise to the occasion? Will he even the score against great offenses?

Good Luck, McD!

Poll

How will the McDermott's D fare against the Cowboys?

Is Anyone Concerned...

2009-11-06T19:37:22Z

that Gocong is doubtful. I know there are few Gocong supporters, but I'm admittedly a little nervous about 220lb Fokou trying to shed a block and get to Marion or Felix.

I also had no idea that Bunkley was a question mark. Is this from the Giants game, or did something creep up in practice? Does it sound like he's gonna be able to go? Can Dixon/Laws own the line well enough, if he's unable to go?

Freakin injuries get me worried, and I'm anxious enough with the Cowboys coming to town.

The Cowboys stand for everything that's wrong with the NFL

2009-11-06T16:36:51Z

During the course of a year, I'll have somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 sports books show up in my mailbox. Unless the book was written by a close friend or my spouse, I don't normally bring it to your attention on the Beast. But while thumbing through Reuben Frank and Mark Eckel's excellent new book "Game Changers: The 50 Greatest Plays in Philadelphia Eagles Football History," I came across an explosive quote from former Eagles assistant and current Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.

Asked why the Eagles have had so much success from 1999-2008 and the Cowboys haven't won a playoff game during that period, Harbaugh had this to say:

"Why is that? Because what Andy Reid and his program stand for if the opposite of what the Cowboys stand for. The Cowboys are a star system. It's all about building around individuals first and collecting talent, collecting great players. Andy has always been about building a team. And over the long haul, it's a team sport, and one of the greatest examples of that is what's happened with the Eagles and the Cowboys over the last 10 years. The Cowboys stand for everything that's wrong with the NFL."

Harbaugh spent nine years with the Eagles as a special teams and secondary coach before becoming the head coach in Baltimore in 2008. It looks like his dislike of the Cowboys hasn't faded over time. Frank and Eckel wrote the book this past offseason, so I'm sure that's when Harbaugh made the comment.

Of the 50 greatest plays selected by the authors, 11 of them occurred in games against the Cowboys. Harbaugh was involved in the Pickle Juice game at Texas Stadium on Sept. 3, 2000. It was his idea to open the season with an onside kick, which the Eagles recovered to set up a touchdown drive. The Eagles won that game, 41-14, and Harbaugh was given a lot of credit for his daring idea. It was called the Pickle Juice game because the Eagles drank the stuff to overcome the Texas heat. The temperature soared to 109 that afternoon.

I just thought you guys might enjoy that quote during Eagles-Cowboys week.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Pre-Game Dinner Recommendations

2009-11-06T12:33:20Z

I haven't been to a night game before, but I just got tix for Sunday's game. My cousin GAVE me a pair of these tix (sorry - I'm taking the wife) and since the Cuz is coming, too, so I'm looking for recommendations for the best place to take him for dinner, prior to the game. Does anyplace stand out for you as the perfect pre-game dinner?

I am thinking that this will be a great appetizer for a Cowboy Soufle.

Birthday Game!!!!

2009-11-06T06:05:47Z

This post really has no major relevancy (except to me) but I just felt like putting it on.

On Sunday, November 8th, the Philadelphia Eagles will be taking on the Dallas Cowboys for 1st place in the NFC East. A few months ago I entered a contest (I still don't remember which one) but I ended up winning. I won 2 tickets to the game behind the Endzone. There is some irony to this (I guess I got really lucky). My birthday is today (November 6th) so I guess this is a Birthday present to me randomly. Not only will this be my first Eagles game, this will be my first NFL game all together. I never have been anywhere near an NFL stadium so I think its pretty obvious to say that I'm estatic about going. I have never been to Philadelphia and I'm excited to see what its like. Seeing McNabb, Jackson, Westy, and the rest of the cast really has me excited (especially since I'm a pre-med student and I don't get much chance to get out and do things). So I'll see first hand what its like and I cant wait.

E-A-G-L-E-S!!! EAAAGGGLLLEESSS!!!!!! LETS GIVE EM ANOTHER BEAT DOWN!!!!!!! 44-6

Mornhinweg and McDermott press conference

2009-11-06T04:27:37Z

Quotes and highlights from the latest press conference. Not sure if this should have been a fanshot or fanshot, either way I apologize if I put this in the wrong category. Just thought that you guys would like to here the input of the coordinators on a game as important as this

Mornhinweg:

Opening remarks: "The last game was a good one. It starts with the offensive line, they played pretty well. Our tight end (Brent Celek) played real well. Our quarterback (Donovan McNabb) played exceptionally well. All of the receivers played at a high level. (FB) Leonard (Weaver) excelled at a role that is fairly new to him with us. (RB) LeSean (McCoy) broke out there on that one run. That game is over. We need to move on. We started to refocus yesterday on a big game here on Sunday night against the Cowboys."

On how much better Dallas is playing defensively than at the beginning of the season: "They are playing at a high level, defensively. They are highly talented. They are playing fast. They're playing with confidence. The general statistics, with the exception of third down, they're pretty good on third down, but the general statistics, they aren't ranked real highly in many things except the third down. However, they are giving up very few points. They are a top-10 team in giving up points. I categorize them as a top-10 team, defensively, especially after the past couple of games."

On whether the Cowboys are rotating linebackers more than they have in the past: "Yeah, (LB Bobby) Carpenter is in on situational aspects of the game, especially their sub packages in the nickel, he's an active player. He's very good. He's made a couple of real good tackles with a blocker right there. In fact, he got cut one time and then made the tackle immediately after that for a two or three yard gain on third-and-about-eight. He's playing at a high level and they are using him and they are putting him in situations that are his strength, so he's doing a good job there. He has coverage responsibility as well. He blitzes. It looks like he's tackling well."

On Cowboys LB Keith Brooking: "Brooking, I've always had great respect for him as a football player there in Atlanta. He's a heck of a player and I think he brings some juice for them, too. He's playing at a high level as well."

On how much Celek's blocking has helped: "Brent is playing at a high level both on the line of scrimmage and in the pass game. He's doing an exceptional job. There are a couple of things that we can get better at there. We try to get better every day at something, individually and as a team. He certainly is playing at an exceptionally high level, so his challenge is to get better at something every day and then continue to play at that high level on a consistent basis, but I would expect him to do that each and every game. Sometimes the stats will be a little bit better than others, but even when the stats aren't, he's playing at a high level."

On Cowboys DT Jay Ratliff: "He's a heck of a player. They are talented across the board. They are talented up front. They're talented at linebacker. They have some excellent cover corners and their safeties are very good, they play sort of toward the call so they free themselves up just a little bit. They are a highly talented defense with an excellent scheme, and Ratliff is one of those highly talented players. They've put him a situation where he either draws help or the matchup usually is in his favor."

On how RB Brian Westbrook looked in practice yesterday: "Good. I think he's good. He's one of the dynamic players in this league when he's healthy, so I'm anxious to get him back."

On the physicality of the Dallas defense and where he thinks they rank in the league: "They're a physical football team. They come after to you. They are aggressive. Now, they had some injuries last year, if you remember, so that sort of took them out of the game that they want to play. They are playing very aggressive right now. They are a little bit healthier at the cover spots. They've added some people to the linebacker spot, and they've always had an excellent – (LB DeMarcus) Ware is the guy that you have to know where he's at every play. Then, the problem you have is they have some other, we already talked about one of them, but they have some other men where if you get them in a one-on-one situation that the matchups are usually in their favor."

On him saying a few weeks ago that the Wildcat wasn't working, and whether that is the reason why they didn't use the Wildcat much last week: "I don't think I ever said that, that it wouldn't work. It's been pretty good. The one ball game where our yards per carry was down just a little bit, we misblocked a couple of things and it's my responsibility. We have to block the thing right. We were seven-on-seven inside the box. That stuff is good. We'll use it. We'll use it situationally. If it's working we'll use it a little bit more. But we misblocked a couple of things that ball game."

On how different Dallas is this year compared to last year's 44-6 victory: "Last year's game has nothing to do with this year's games. They're a different team. Now when you look at it and you study and players look at it and those sorts of things, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the next ball game, even in the same year it has nothing to do with it. Teams change drastically from week to week, let alone a whole season."

On how beneficial it is having Westbrook back on the field in whatever capacity he is used: "It's good to have Brian Westbrook back. Brian is one of the elite, dynamic players in this league when he's healthy. Like I said, I'm anxious to have him back. You're right, you can put him in so many different spots where he's effective and put a little more heat on the defense that way. This is a team that you can do that with."

On whether he has ever had so many new players in key roles: "The fullback is new here. The left tackle (Jason Peters) is new. (G/T) Todd (Herremans) has been out. We've been banged up pretty good. Those guys up front, there were three of them – I was concerned a couple of weeks ago about making it through the game, more than a couple of weeks ago, but they gutted it out. We're a little bit healthier there, so that's first. Second, your main question I suppose is there are a lot of new players and young players, yeah. This is probably the most, yeah. I haven't gone back and figured it out or anything; I don't pay much attention to that because they are all good players and so they are talented. Then, it's my responsibility and the responsibility of the assistant coaches to get them playing at a high level as quickly as possible and that's what they've done. Now we've been up and down just a little bit and so hopefully we can play at that high level that we've played at in more than spurts. We play at that high level and do it a little bit more consistently. I will tell you that with all the new players and the young players that are playing for us on offense, the assistant coaches, the individual position coaches are really key there. I'm fortunate we have some of the best position coaches there are in this league. (Wide receivers coach) David Culley, he's had a rookie back-to-back (years) starting, along with other new players. (Tight ends coach) Tom (Melvin)'s done a great job with the tight ends. He's had new guys in and the tight ends that play for Tom play at a high level. Same with (running backs coach) Ted (Williams), every running back that comes in that plays for Ted plays at a high level. Then, (offensive line coach) Juan (Castillo) takes free agent guys and mulls them into a pretty good offensive line. Then, (quarterbacks coach) James (Urban) has done a great job with the quarterbacks this year. We have great talent there and he's done an excellent job there. Then, (offensive quality control coach) Doug (Pederson) is involved in many aspects of what we do. But my point is, we have great position coaches and they take great pride in what they do. They bust their butt and the players understand that and in return the players bust their butt and then it works that way."

On how the Cowboys can use Ware anywhere: "That's a good point. They do play him a little bit unexpectedly where you may not plan to see him. That's a gameplan thing. You try to know where he's at. The one thing I'll say about him is he is a dynamite player. He is fast and quick like a running back-linebacker-receiver type guy. He's big and strong as well. He's really an elite player in this league and one of the best pass rushers. He had 20 sacks last year."

On how much he has discussed the Cowboys' defense with special assistant/defense coach Brian Stewart: "I discussed it with him. He has great knowledge. That's normal for what we do."

On the amount of extra work the coaches do with rookies after practice: "We always do a lot pre-practice and post-practice and you'll probably see more in post-practice. Now this year there is extensive work and there were some reasons for that. (WR) Jeremy (Maclin) came into camp late so that was important. We had a lot of new and young players that we were counting on. Then, with (QB) Michael (Vick), it was really important that way. Then, with (QB) Kevin (Kolb), who is a young quarterback, great experience in preseason, and had not played much in all in a league game, it was important for him as well. All of those things were important and all of the fellows I mentioned did a heck of a job with that. And then we still continue that."

McDermott:

On whether he agrees with Cowboys WR Roy Williams' comments that QB Tony Romo is only throwing nice passes to WR Miles Austin? "I don't know it looks like, to me, that he's throwing pretty good passes everywhere, all over the field."

On what his plans are for the rotation at free safety this weekend: "The good part about that rotation at safety is that we have three players that we have confidence in, with Sean (Jones), Macho (Harris) as well as Quintin (Demps) and they have all experienced some amount of success at the position. If all three are healthy and available then we will look to use their talents in different situations in the game."

On who will start at free safety: "It depends on the situation in the game."

On the differences in their skill sets: "You are talking about two younger players and an older player who's been around and the experience factor, number one, is what separates Sean. He is a bigger body that tackles well and he does a great job on the field communicating with (S) Quintin Mikell at the same time. With Macho, (he is) a good natural football player. (He is) a guy that has played the corner position, can cover in the slot and has done a good job over the first couple of games at safety."

On who is the starting free safety is right now: "It's going to be a game-day decision. Right now Sean Jones is the starter."

On the Cowboys offensive line: "They do a heck of a job up front and like most teams everything starts up front and that's no different with the Cowboys. They've got some big hogs up front and they're tough to penetrate through. They've got a brick wall. They do a good job protecting Romo and giving him time to throw."

On the challenges of defending TE Jason Witten: "He certainly does (present a big challenge) and he's done it over the last several years that he's played there and in the division as well. He's a guy that we have to be aware of, not only in the passing game but also in the running game. He does a great job at the line of scrimmage. He's a fierce competitor, just having worked with him over at the Pro Bowl like we have, gotten to know him a little bit. I have a lot of respect for him as a football player."

On whether he expects to have LB Chris Gocong back and who will fill in for him if he can't play: "We're not sure at this point with Chris. I think we'll know a little bit more as the week progresses. (LB) Moise (Fokou) would be the guy, at this point, that would step up and that's where we stand."

On whether Fokou has progressed so far this season: "He has, number one it starts with hard work as it always does and Moise is one of the first in and last to leave. He's done a heck of a job preparing himself for this challenge."

On having flexibility at safety: "It all starts in the secondary with what we can do at the corner position on the edge and then it builds back inside with the three guys at the one position that you're talking about. It's good to have three guys with some versatility that we can get on the field based on the situation."

On why they've been able to create turnovers more frequently this season: "Anytime you get turnovers it helps the offense. That's the number one thing that we want to do is we want to help out offense and put them in a position to score. We've been able to do that up to this point in the season and we're going to do our best to continue to do that the rest of the season. The difference this year, primarily, I believe has been – you're looking at corners that are planting and driving on the football and attacking the football. That goes all across the board to the linebacker position, the safety position and so on and so forth. It has to start with corners who can cover, which we have and then it goes right back to our core, which is playing aggressive, nasty football."

On what makes CB Asante Samuel so good at getting interceptions: "What makes him so good? He has great awareness and instincts outside. He studies the game, he studies the opponent and I think it all starts from there."

On the development of Austin this season: "He's always been a good receiver and he's always been a guy that we've had to be aware of when he came into the game, whatever role that may have been. This year specifically, to me, what's different is that he's on the field more and so he has more opportunities and that skill set that he brings to the table then has a chance to unfold and expose defenses and defensive backs and so on and so forth. He's a threat out there for sure."

On what he focuses on as a defensive coordinator when facing a balanced offense like the Cowboys: "We just try to focus on ourselves and make sure we're fundamentally sound. You're not going to be able to know when they are going to run and pass. We have to make sure that everything we do is fundamentally sound, scheme-wise and technique-wise. That we tackle well and I thought that was one of the best things we did last week, was we tackled well as a team on defense."

On whether he is happy with the run defense this season: "We've done a good job up to this point. I don't want to say happy or satisfied. Those are all the wrong words to use at this point in the season. We look to improve each and every day."

On what Demps did to earn increased playing time: "He's always been a guy that we've had confidence in. He's only in his second year, so he's a young guy and he has a bright future in this league. There are, as I mentioned before, certain skills that he brings to the table that are going to enhance what we do as a defense on a week to week basis. Last week, specifically, we felt like he would give us – he would add value to the defense. Getting him on the field would benefit us and in the end he did a great job."

On how much LB Will Witherspoon will factor into defending Witten: "As I mentioned before, we've got to know where 82 is all the time. In every personnel group that they put out there he's a guy that they look to. If it's Will, if it's another linebacker, if it's a defensive lineman, if it's a safety, they need to be studying film and know exactly what 82 does, when he does it and where he does it from."

On whether it's difficult to break down and study Dallas' frequent two tight end sets: "It is simply because they have different – like our safeties, they bring different skills to the table with the two and three tight end sets that they use. They can line up and pound the ball on you from that personnel group, or they can spread you our and try to throw the ball on you. Being multi-dimensional obviously proposes a threat to the defense."

On what about Romo allows him to succeed: "They've got a great scheme with what (offensive coordinator) coach (Jason) Garrett does down there and when (Romo) looks to execute the scheme, to me, it seems to roll pretty smoothly. When he gets outside of the scheme, perhaps, is where things have broken down over the years. I haven't seen that scheme breakdown, unfortunately, up to this point. As I mentioned earlier in the week they are rolling on all cylinders right now, which is – I think they are the number two ranked offense in the league."

On being aware of Romo when he gets out of the pocket and when plays break down: "I mentioned to the team this morning that part of their success on offense is due in part to those plays. Those (QB) Brett Favre type plays, where he scrambles, the play breaks down, he checks the ball down to a running back, finds a tight end, gains a first down with his feet, or throws the ball down the field, finding a receiver when he's going through the impromptu that he does. Yards after breakdown, so to speak, I don't know if that's a stat but he does a great job with it and we have to be aware of it."

On whether LBs need to keep their lanes when facing a QB like Romo who can move around: "That is a factor and a consideration. Every week it's different. If we blitz do we want to make sure we stay on our track, so to speak, or do we want force him to break containment? This week it's important that we try to trap that quarterback and that he does not get out of the pocket, either outside or up the middle."

On keeping continuity among linebackers with new personnel: "The players work hard and there is no way we could have the success that we've had up to this point without the attitude, the effort and the talent they bring to the table. Those guys, whoever has been in there, they do a heck of a job from Monday through Saturday night to master the game plan and also master the opponent."

Update on Justin

2009-11-06T01:04:58Z

Hi, Joe:

Thanks again for your most generous of offers. I checked the date, and it turns out I will be able to attend, so I would love to take you up on your offer.

As far as handicap accessibility, I called The Meadowlands, and they said that they are able to accomodate a wheelchair and companion with any two seats by giving them accessible seats on game day. This should make it easier for you, as I should be able to take any two tickets that you would be able to purchase.

I read the thread over at Bleeding Green Nation, and I am quite touched at the generosity of the people over there. I read comments from several individuals expressing an interest in showing the world the way real Eagles Fans behave, and overcoming any reputation or stereotypes that may exist. I think this is a great idea / goal, and to that end, I would be more than willing to contact media outlets with our story, including Philadelphia newspapers, and ESPN personalities like Rick Reilly, Matt Mosley, Bill Simmons, and Mike & Mike, as I think they would all enjoy this story about rival fans overcoming their rooting differences for the greater good. Would this be ok with you? Let me know.

my paypal is joedubyk@gmail.com... I will be purchasing them soon. A lot of you bitch about our rep in the media. Here's your chance for redemption as I told him it's OK to go to the media. The top contributor will win a juicy date with Eagles grl ( she told me she puts out after a long island iced tea fellas).

Who Has the Better WR Corps? Eagles or Cowboys?

2009-11-06T00:52:13Z

As we near the Eagles’ Week 9 showdown with the rival Cowboys, and a bit of interesting news breaks regarding the Dallas offensive unit, I chalked up an examination of both teams’ Wide Receiver corps, analyzed each passing target from each squad, and concluded with my take on which NFC East member holds the better group of wideouts. More details on this Sunday night’s contest between the Birds and Cowboys will be included in the official game preview, but for now, a look inside an explosive position on two explosive offenses should provide for an intriguing read:

To start, I must release the specifics of the “news” coming out of Dallas I hinted at in the beginning of the article: Number 1 WR Roy Williams implied in a media conference, by several statements, that he and QB Tony Romo haven’t developed a solid chemistry, and most of the starting passer’s throws have been thrown “correctly” to other guys, but not him. The Cowboy receiver didn’t appear too angry while speaking, but was clearly upset with how he hasn’t been a significant factor in the offense thus far in the year. Whether this has an effect on the Cowboys or not, it was a brief, yet interesting piece of news that might want to be noted by Eagles fans, for Williams’ productivity–and comments–just might prove to be at least a little distraction in Dallas’ locker room and on the field.

With the Cowboys’ WR controversy covered (I apologize, for that was a joke and I don’t mean to get Cowboy fanatics upset…well, maybe I do), let’s begin our dive into the position exam of the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys’ Wide Receivers:

Eagles (5 total WRs), named in order of depth chart listing:

Jackson (pictured) is in his 2nd season in the league and with the Birds, but one could easily mistake him for one of the NFL’s longtime stars. The sophomore receiver, who appears to be a minimal threat at only 5 foot, 10 inches and 175 pounds, has clearly been one of the biggest offensive contributors on the squad. With 24 catches, Jackson has totaled 501 yards and 4 scores, while also experiencing success as a trick runner, gaining 115 yards and a touchdown. He is well on pace to eclipse the 1,000-yard receiving mark, and has also been a dangerous punt returner for the Eagles. Jackson is well deserving of his starting role, and would make a good argument as one of the best–if not the best–young wideout in the entire league.

Maclin began the year as a backup to the veteran Curtis, but because of injuries to the typical number 2 receiver, the rookie has been given numerous opportunities. Fortunately for Philadelphia, the 1st-round Draft pick has shined when asked to step into a bigger role. Only two catches shy of Jackson’s reception total, Maclin has recorded 293 yards and a trio of touchdowns. Although that isn’t considered to be phenomenal compared to many of the NFL’s other starting WRs, Maclin only began playing a significant amount of time a few weeks ago when it became apparent Curtis would miss a prolonged amount of action. Paired with Jackson, Maclin gives the Eagles perhaps one of the most explosive starting duo of receivers that have been in the league one year or less.

Curtis looked to return to his great 2007 form after missing roughly half of the previous season with a sports hernia injury, but was hurt again this year when he took repeated hits to a sprain in his knee. With a disappointing 5 catches for 70 yards, the 7th-year player continues to rebound from surgery he underwent on his knee, and isn’t expected to be back in the lineup until at least after Week 10. It is obvious the former Ram won’t be making any significant contributions to the offense, barring a miracle turn-around, and therefore his presence in the receiving corps improves the Eagles little, at least in regards to this competition examination.

Avant is arguably the most under-rated backup WR in the NFC East, let alone the team. Thus far in the season, he has notched 13 catches for 155 yards, to go along with an average of 11.9 yards a reception, and a touchdown. The biggest asset of Avant is his ability to get open in the secondary on crucial plays, such as 3rd and 4th downs, or pass attempts that need to be completed for large amounts of yards. He will likely never emerge into starting material, but his strong body frame (6′0″, 212 lbs.) and physical style of play earns him respect on the Eagles’ roster.

Brown has been a mystery of a player ever since he was dropped significantly in the depth chart prior to last season. As many of us Eagle followers know, the former 2nd-round Draft selection began his career with a burst of talent and potential. In his rookie campaign, Brown put up great numbers: 517 yards, 4 TD. In his second year, the young target had even better statistics, gaining 840 total yards off of 49 touches, as well as 9 touchdowns overall. From then on, his productivity declined, and he has been contained to only one catch for a mere 4 yards this season. Despite this awfully low mark, he has been listed as inactive for a pair of games, and been kept on the sidelines most of the games he is indeed available.

Overall, the Eagles have a solid group of weapons at QB Donovan McNabb’s expense. They are built both to succeed now and in the future, for most are young and learning, yet potent players. With the Birds’ receivers evaluated, let’s take a look at our rival Cowboys and their supposedly awesome cluster of WRs:

Cowboys (5 total WRs), named in order of depth chart listing):

Williams is the official number 1, but as stated in the snippet of “news”, has failed to develop a trusty relationship with his QB, and therefore, hasn’t produced a lot. So far, the former Lion who was acquired at the trade deadline in 2008, has made 14 catches for 259 yards and 2 TDs. Now, his pair of scores and 17.8 yards per catch average aren’t dismal, but his overall consistency on the field has been downright bad. He has been thrown to less than a few of the backup receivers, and hasn’t been as impressive as Dallas hoped he would be when they dished out three Draft picks for him to Detroit. In respect to and defense of Williams, the guy has also missed a game with a chest and back injury, and been thrown to poorly at least a few times this year. Undoubtedly, he remains one of the better catchers in the league, but if he doesn’t start playing like the number 1, then, quite frankly, he won’t be the number 1.

Austin, explained in detail in a previous article by our very own Fantasy/Feature writer Kyle Phillippi, has become the true target in the passing game, even if he isn’t described as that on Cowboy depth charts and rosters. In his 4th season, Austin has suddenly broken into quality form and appears to be a major part of the team’s long-term offensive picture. He has already surpassed his career-high totals in every category statistically, and by at least twice as much. The 25-year-old currently has 563 yards off of 26 receptions and 6 touchdowns. With some simple math, one can easily discover that Austin is clearly on pace for a Pro-Bowl-worthy season. The true test will be faced when the young WR faces some tougher defenses down the stretch of the year, but right now, he has to be considered purely dangerous.

Hurd is another of the Cowboys’ younger “projects” at the position, and despite now being listed as the club’s 3rd receiver, he spent some time earlier in the year as the 4th. Alike Austin, Hurd is playing in his 4th season, and has managed to grab 6 passes for 115 yards and one touchdown. In addition to his receiving duties, Hurd is also the team’s emergency kick and punt returner because of his versatility. Overall, he’s not a guy many teams spend a ton of time preparing for, but has potential to play a big role if called upon.

Crayton was expected to be named one of the team’s starting wideouts following the departure of Terrell Owens in the offseason, but fell from the top of the depth chart to the middle, primarily in Training Camp and preseason. Even so, he has been able to produce respectable reserve statistics, making the most out of his 20 catches. He has gained 291 receiving yards, 28 more on the ground via running plays, and 2 TDs, one of which was executed in the form of an 80-yard reception. Crayton has been a reliable backup for the team since his rookie season in 2004, and is one of those offensive players that will pounce on opportunities if ignored.

Ogletree impressed Cowboy staff members so much in the offseason that he was rewarded a spot on the final roster as a “long shot” rookie free agent signing. He hasn’t found the field much in the regular season, as he’s been shadowed by the other receivers, and has yet to make an impact on the offensive unit. Of course, he’s only been listed as active for 2 games, but has caught only one pass. If there is any significant thing to be picked out from Ogletree’s season so far, it has to be the 19 yards he gained off his only reception.

The Verdict:

This has to be perhaps the toughest decision I’ve made this year in terms of guesses and projections and what not in my writing, and the Eagles and Cowboys match up so well with their explosive receiving groups. Both sport young play-makers and veteran backups worthy of playing time. All in all, these two foes have excellent weapons at the position (I’ve stated that too many times), but because of the pure essence of speed and ability, the edge has to go to the Eagles. Dallas CB Mike Jenkins said it himself: “It’s an eyebrow-raiser…I think the [Philadelphia] coaches look forward to just giving us the challenge as a secondary, because when we came in the [game preparation] meeting they had a film of D-Jack, Maclin, pretty much all their receivers. Everybody on their team stretches the field.”

Season Tickets

2009-11-06T00:02:25Z

This should be in a fanshot, but i figured I'd post it up here so that more people saw it and commented... I'm really curious where you guys are in line. I have to say, it impresses me that the Eagles have finally started letting us know periodically where we are in line

I am person number 16,895 in line

The last time I checked, the renewal rate was like 97% or something. At that rate, assuming there are 50,000 season tickets or so, I should be able to get them in the next 10-15 years. Except... maybe I should double that amount of time... can you even buy one season ticket by itself?

Breaking Down Cowboys' WR Miles Austin

2009-11-05T23:08:49Z

All of us NFL fans have witnessed the emergence of Cowboys’ Wide Receiver Miles Austin over the early course of the season. Due to the departure, or shall we say exile, of the ego-driven WR Terrell Owens in the offseason, Austin was placed in an ideal situation in the Dallas offense. The undrafted receiver has risen above Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton on the depth chart, even though Williams feels he is still the number one WR on the roster. So just how has Miles Austin made the jump from undrafted rookie to leading receiver on “America’s Team”?

The Stats

We all know that Miles Austin has proven to be one of this year’s most talented receivers in the NFL with his early season performances, but have you noticed how he ranks among some of the league’s best? He currently ranks 10th among all WRs in receiving yards, but has the fewest receptions out of all the top ten receivers. His 26 catches rank 52nd in the league, further proving how lethal he is when the ball gets in his hands, as he frequently breaks free of the secondary for long runs. He is tied for the lead in touchdown receptions by Wide Receivers at 6, and only trails 49ers’ TE Vernon Davis (7 TDs) for the most overall scores by catch. Austin also has 4 catches over 40 yards, which trails only our very own DeSean Jackson, who has 6 catches of 40+ yards.

The Defenses

Despite those impressive numbers, you can make an argument that he has faced poor defenses so far this season. He went against the 28th ranked defense in Kansas City, the 31st ranked in Atlanta, and the 18th ranked defense in Seattle. All of his big days came against those three teams. Take a look:

Week 5 vs. KC: 10 rec, 250 yards, 2 TD

Week 7 vs. ATL: 6 rec, 171 yards, 2 TD

Week 8 vs. SEA: 5 rec, 61 yards, 1 TD

How The Eagles Will Look To Contain Him

The Eagles rank 10th in pass defense, meaning that Austin will likely go against his toughest opponent yet. He clearly knows what he is up against and has addressed the situation:

“I want to see me do it against a Philly defense and a division game on the road,” “All I can do is play my hardest. That’s what I’ve been doing and we’ll see what happens.”

Just last week the Eagles shut down New York Giants’ WR Steve Smith, another young rising star in the NFL. The Eagles kept the highly-regarded target under 70 yards and out of the end zone despite his previous weeks of success. One way the Eagles were able to do this was the play of their Safeties. They used backup Quintin Demps as a “centerfielder-type” deep defensive back to shadow Smith throughout the game, and took away the deep ball. This style of defense will most likely be used a lot against Dallas, for they often rely on throwing long passes to Miles Austin.

Another way the Eagles will look to eliminate the passing game is to apply pressure on Dallas’ Quarterback, Tony Romo (who, in my opinion, is easily frightened by heavy rush). If the Eagles can bring the heat on Romo, he will likely throw his common “lame duck” passes, and have to hit the underneath routes.

The Outcome

It will be a great matchup with CB Asante Samuel primarily covering Miles Austin. Samuel is a very tough corner to go up against, but is prone to biting on quick plays in hopes of picking off a pass. He will need to avoid falling for the pump-and-go’s and hitch-and-go routes that Austin is accustomed to running. As long as Samuel can stick with Austin all game, and the Safeties help over the top, the Eagles should be able to limit the play of the dangerous Miles Austin.

(Quote gathered from yahoo.com)

Best ESPN Show

2009-11-05T19:54:42Z

I'm sitting here sick watching ESPN and that got me thinking. What is every ones favorite show on ESPN? and I'm not talking Sports Center which is just basically sports news. I'm also not talking the Sports particular analysis shows, which in my opinion for the NFL are terrible, but for most other sports they are decent. I'm talking more so about the other shows that have different things to offer.

My personal favorite is Sports Nation. I love that show. I'm a personal fan of Colin Cowherd, some times he gets a little Skip Baylessie but I think he is mostly good, and his co-host Michelle Beadle is funny, and pretty cute haha. I think its really cool the way they post the polls and debate over the polls, its really entertaining stuff. My runner up is Around the horn, Woodie Page is Hilarious!

Please vote and comment on why you like that show!

Poll

What is your favorite ESPN Show?

GET DESEAN AND CELEK 2 Pro-Bowl!!!

2009-11-05T17:12:18Z

Pro Bowl voting is up!

Let's give our boys what they deserve.

http://www.nfl.com/probowl/ballot?icampaign=PB_orange_MB

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Your FanPost must be at least 75 words long. Right now it's only 21 words long. If you just have a quote, link, video or photo you'd like to share with the community,

What to make of the Cowboys?

2009-11-05T16:42:38Z

So Dallas comes to town this weekend riding a three game win streak against the likes of K.C.( in overtime), Atlanta, and Seattle. I know that wins are still wins, but that doesn't really impress me. Even though Atlanta isn't awful, they have the 29th ranked defense in the league, so it was kind of expected that the Cowboys offense would be able to inflate their stats against them. So at this point, I'm not sure what to make of the Cowboys.

Tony Romo has played well, Miles Austin is playing bigger than himself, Witten is still Witten, and Roy Williams is an unhappy camper who is currently the league's highest paid for decoy (in draft picks and in salary). The Cowboys are good on offense, but not unstoppable. Samuel and Mikell are having Pro Bowl type seasons in the Eagles secondary, so I'm expecting them to help keep Dallas under control. Once again, Patterson, Bunkley, and Cole are playing well and should be able to contain the running game.

The Cowboys currently have the 22nd ranked defense in the league but have played better as of late. So how will they fare against our Eagles? The Cowboys are yet to play a receiving corps as explosive as the Eagles, and there is not a defender in the league right now that can neutralize DJack by himself. He is the game's most explosive player, and he has company with Celek and Maclin. Across the board, these receivers are a touchdown waiting to happen. Then you add Westbrook, Weaver, and McCoy, and the Cowboys defense has its hands full.

This should be a fun matchup. I'm not expecting another 44-6 blowup, but I think the Eagles explosive offense will make the big plays that will propel us to sole possession of 1st in the NFC East.

Eagles 31, Cowboys 17

Tailgating for this weeks Cowboys game?

2009-11-05T04:03:10Z

Im looking to head up as early as possible to start tailgating this Sunday. We typically arrive at around 7:30am for a 1pm game, 9-10am for a 4pm game. I know on Monday night games they usually dont open parking lots until 2pm or so. What time can we get in this week? Anybody know. I'm driving a 40ft Motorhome so i need to get in before it gets stupid busy and we cant manuever

WOW...Read this it'll blow your mind

2009-11-05T02:03:16Z

Hey guys what's up? I have a lot of free time on my hands actually right now as i don't have school tomorrow or Friday....lucky me! Anyways, I was looking around on yahoo for news about the Eagles, and basically just the NFL in general. One of the articles i found however, astounded me....

http://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/nfl/news;_ylt=Akxdn_w8dF8Wi7UiKeVe9p7.uLYF?slug=rotowire-notes_110409&prov=rotowire&type=lgns

It's a big article about basically almost every single team in the NFL and some of the players and whatnot....notes, tidbits, little bits of information. However, if you read the paragraph about the Giants and the Eagles at the end (the author doesn't mention the Eagles anywhere else in the article stupid fool >=( lol anyways whining ceased), you'll see comments about Desean Jackson being probably the most explosive player in the NFL (HELL YES BABY THATS MY BOY), and a comment about Jeremy Maclin as a nice 3rd wide receiver option. The comment about Donovan McNabb was the one that astounded me though. Here's his words.....

"Donovan McNabb (notes) has been up and down this season, but his astronomical 151.9 QB rating at home easily leads the NFL."

151.9 QB RATING AT HOME SO FAR....

Even through two games, he has an ASTOUNDING QB rating of 151.9 at home during his two starts at home this season. I thought for sure this was a sham....but I checked out his ratings at nfl.com and it's legit...he really does have a rating of 151.9 (i calculated it myself). He had a near-perfect rating of 157.2 versus Tampa Bay and 146.7 versus Giants. To me, that is something worth noting. That is unbelievably amazing, better than what you can say for anyone else. Even with only two games, it's really rare to post ratings like that. Against Tampa Bay is not too much of a surprise, but against the division rival Giants, it's something that is noteworthy. Of course he hasn't been consistent as mentioned, but we don't know yet if this is pure luck or not. I think you guys might have thought about this and might have known about this too, but I just had the urge to post it. If you didn't know, well here you go =).... Anyways, in my opinion, I think of this astounding statistic like this....

Once is an accident....

Twice is a coincidence...

Three times is a trend...

Let us see how Donovan performs against Dallas come Sunday Night. If it's anything like a reenactment of 44-6 or an offensive juggernaut blowout against Dallas, then you can say with some certainty that Donovan is definitely having one of the best seasons of his career so far....

WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK??

Westbrook "Good to Go" vs. Dallas

2009-11-04T21:20:27Z

It appears that the Eagles will have the expense of one more explosive weapon when they take the field this Sunday against the rival Dallas Cowboys. Starting RB Brian Westbrook (pictured) was a full participant in the team's practice this afternoon, and is "good to go" for this weekend's game, according to head coach Andy Reid. The 8th-year runner has missed a pair of games this season, due to an ankle injury and a concussion he suffered in Week 7 versus the Redskins. He was ruled "Questionable" last week to play against the Giants, but was wisely held out for precautionary reasons and to allow more time for recovery. However, he is now back in action and prepared to play after re-joining the team today.

In addition to his full attendance in the practice session, Westbrook also underwent several medical tests that insured his health was good enough to play, and sure enough, he passed. He also went through a series of examinations with team health specialist Rick Burkholder for a more detailed report of his concussion, and the results were positive, definitely a good sign for the franchise. Despite his return to practice and likely games, Westbrook will still be relieved by his backups often--at least until it is displayed the veteran can participate as the starting RB without pain.

Besides, with phenomenal performances, rookie RB LeSean McCoy and versatile FB Leonard Weaver deserve to carry the ball some more, even if it is in a reserve role. McCoy was Week 8's official starter at the Running Back position, and gained 82 yards off of only 11 hand-offs, while Weaver managed 75 yards and a 41-yard TD run as an interchangeable halfback and Fullback.

In other injury news, WR Kevin Curtis was an absentee at practice today, as he still tends to his surgically repaired knee. DE Victor Abiamiri was also held out of drills and routines with a sprained knee, as was OLB Chris Gocong, who is dealing with both a quad muscle contusion and hamstring strain in one of his legs.

Matt Mosley, Adam Caplan, any journalist really, let the true good hearted Eagles fans have a voice.

2009-11-04T07:00:54Z

Hey Guys,

We recently have had a couple of issues that have touched alot of us and kind of got our irish up over the last few days. I'm talking about our reputations as hecklers, jerks, and overall terrible people. I want this post to be an open forum for anyone who monitors this site to hear what the true civil Eagles fans have to say. Too long have the 7-10% of our fanbase that have no human-respect, made us out to be animals. I know there are fans on here who have been fans for over 20 yrs, (I'm 17 yrs and strong myself, I don't count my first 4 yrs of life because I barely remember) so let your voice be heard. I just think we need to let the Skip Bayless's of the world know they are wrong about a majority of us. We have fans that are just appauling and we pay for their sins. So below if you have anything good natured or want to get something off your chest about the fan base good or bad, post here. I'm not trying to start a riot, I just think its important to know we can take pride in knowing we have brothers of this wonderful Fraternity called the Philadelphia Eagles Fanbase, that are truly good and respectable human beings.

The Death and Rebirth of 700 Level

2009-11-04T03:16:29Z

I'm not really dead, no worries, but I'm not posting under that screen name anymore

I know this might seem stupid to some, but I just cannot post under that name anymore. I joined BGN a long time ago. At least 3 maybe 4 years ago. I chose the name 700 Level because I always loved how passionate the fanbase is and how rough that section was on opposing fans. However, when i say rough on opposing fans, my idea of rough is aparently different than some. I started to realize that my screen name made some people think I was the idiot Philly fan that most of us HATE. This was really a problem when i would post on other teams blogs. I couldn't say anything without immediately being pegged as that guy who threw D cell batteries from the upper deck of the vet. It should ALWAYS be rough on opposing fans when they come into your building. They should be scared of it... because 60000 + eagles fans are gonna make tons of noise and make it a rough day for their team. I'm not into this thing of welcoming other fans into your stadium. They are not welcome there as far as i'm concerned.

HOWEVER... there are just lines that should never be crossed. I'm not doing this because of the story JoeD posted but its just another story of people taking the game way to far. I've been thinking about changing names for several months

This sucks for me a little bit because i've built a pretty decent raport within the BGN community but I'm just done being associated with it.

I will always bleed green! But at the end of the day human well being is more important to me than football. I've probably posted some things over the years that dont line up with what i've written here. I'm kind of embarrased about that because i was able to post annonymously... other than one or two of you, you guys dont know who i am. But I just dont want to be that kind of fan anymore. Love it or hate it thats just the way it is

That said, it's dallas week. I'm looking for complete domination on both sides of the ball. Prediction - 33-13 EAGLES

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!

________________________________________________________________________________________

SO... you guys have made some quality points on this thread. As upset as i get with some the stuff beligerant Eagles fans have done, you're right... It does happen everywhere else too. I witnessed some pretty ridiculous stuff at FedEx two weeks ago. It's stupid to let other people incorrect assumptions effect what i do. I'll bring the name back