Archive: January, 2009
Paul Domowitch, Daily News NFL Columnist
RUSHING OFFENSE
Brian Westbrook averaged just 3.8 yards per carry, but that actually was his best rushing average of the postseason. Donovan McNabb had a 22-yard run on the Eagles’ first offensive play, and set up a third-quarter TD with a nicely executed 8-yard draw. Grade: C
PASSING OFFENSE
Daily News staff
The Eagles under Andy Reid are now 1-4 in the NFC Championship Game following the loss to Arizona on Sunday, but Reid was unwilling to suggest there was a pattern there.
“They are all different,” Reid said in his postgame press conference. “We have been over the bump and been to the Super Bowl, if this is what you are considering the hump. We didn’t get there this time …
“I’m hurting, guys. They’re hurting, all of them. It’s a shame.”
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
The Eagles' season has ended in the NFc Championship Game for the fourth time in the last 8 years. The Cardinals are heading to their first Super Bowl and await the AFC champion.
Updating: The Eagles move the ball to the Cardinals' 47 with a little more than 2 minutes remaining. The next four plays -- all from the shotgun formation -- lead to four incompletions, capped by a questionable pass interference non-call at 1:57.
Updating: Cards just drove 72 yards in 14 plays for their only second-half points, giving them a 32-25 lead. It was the first defensive touchdown the Eagles have given up since the Giants scored in the Dec. 7 game at Giants Stadium.
Daily News staff
Game day has arrived here at Eagletarian, so we kick it of with our Daily News staff predictions, key matchups and more ... Check back throughout the day for pregame, in-game and postgame updates from Les Bowen and the DN staff at University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona.
STAFF SELECTIONS
Les Bowen: Eagles, 27-21
Daily New staff
5 REASONS EAGLES WILL WIN
1. Donovan McNabb, of course. In the win over the Giants, McNabb was by far the better quarterback. He was resourceful, tough and made plenty of correct decisions … playfully answering the Giants’ phone not being one of them. He’s getting great protection, something that shouldn’t be taken for granted.
2. Have you noticed how much smarter Andy Reid sounds these days at his (once-annoying) news conferences? Yep, you’ve got a winner in town. And Reid’s newly found genius might be too much for Cardinals second-year coach Ken Whisenhunt.
- Poll: Which bird will win? (1025 votes)
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Brian Westbrook cleared up some of the intrigue over ESPN's story earlier this week, stating that he had reinjured his knee in last Sunday's victory at the Giants, a wording the network eventually changed to "tweaked," at the request of the Eagles, who then denied any change in Westbrook's condition.
At a news conference Friday just before the Birds left for Arizona and Sunday's NFL Championship Game,
Westbrook acknowledged he had indeed "tweaked" his knee -- as he has several times now, he said. But Westbrook practiced Friday and said he feels better now than he felt a week ago.
"I feel great," said Westbrook, who has gained 74 yards on 38 carries in two playoff games so far.
Paul Domowitch, Daily News NFL Columnist
Our weekly look at what we will be watching in the Eagles game:
1. Putting Heat On Warner. Give Kurt Warner time and he’ll slice and dice any secondary in the league, including the Eagles. He’s deadly accurate and has great receivers. The Eagles didn’t sack him in the first meeting, but they got pressure on him early and hits on him early and he ended up completing just 53.8 percent of his attempts and throwing three interceptions, two in the first quarter.
2. Eagles in the Red. The Eagles were just 2-for-5 in the red zone vs. the Giants last week, which was the continuation of a disturbing late-season trend. They have converted just seven of their last 21 trips inside the 20 into touchdowns. Against a potent offensive team like the Cardinals, the Eagles need to maximize every scoring opportunity, like they did in the first meeting with the Cardinals when they were 6-for-6 inside the 20.
Daily News staff
Arizona wide receiver Anquan Boldin's injured hamstring is improving, coach Ken Whisenhunt said after practice.
“He looked better," Whisenhunt said. "The biggest thing with Anquan is just seeing how he can continue doing that on a day-to-day basis. It looks to me like it is improving and he is doing better. Hopefully that will be the case tomorrow. That will be another critical day for us.”
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Brian Westbrook is walking better than Jim Johnson these days -- we know that, at least. And we're going to go out
on a limb and predict that Westbrook's knee will have a bigger impact on the Eagles' NFC Championship Game appearance in Arizona than the defensive coordinator's balky back. But Johnson's condition is no less of a closely-guarded secret around the NovaCare complex.
Johnson was walking with a cane again Thursday, when he faced reporters for his weekly news conference. Asked whether he will coach from the press box, as he did last week at the Giants, Johnson said that would be a "gametime decision." Asked how he injured his back, Johnson hesitated, then made a joke about swinging a golf club too hard. But asked as he left the stage how long it had been since he'd played golf, Johnson -- who has been a tad busy these last several weeks -- acknowledged that it had been quite a long while ago.
On more serious matters, Johnson said you'll probably see more of his standout d-tackles, Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley, than you did in the Thanksgiving rout of the Cards, because the Eagles got ahead 21-0 midway through the second quarter in that game, and ended up playing a lot of nickel and dime packages. Also, the Cards are running the ball with Edgerrin James much more than they were in November.
