Archive: November, 2008
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
For a while there, the list of Eagles not practicing or practicing only on a limited basis was getting alarmingly long, but it miraculously cleared up Friday, as is often the case as a really big game approaches.
Most critically, cornerback Lito Sheppard practiced for the first time since leaving last week's win in Seattle with a groin injury. The Eagles are listing Sheppard as questionable -- as they are fellow corner Joselio Hanson, who has a hamstring problem -- but both players expect to play against the Giants Sunday night.
"I feel well, swell," Sheppard said. "Today was a good indication that I was able to do (what's necessary) ... I think I'll be fine."
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Thursday is coordinator day down at NovaCare, and your Eagletarian is attempting to summon the energy to distill their collected wisdom into a few pithy paragraphs.
But my normal light and breezy style is hard to affect today. I have nearly lost the will to blog.
In today's Daily News, I asked, rhetorically, "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?" while I was narrating how Donovan McNabb refused to concede superiority to the Giants, in a conference call with New York-area media.
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Donovan McNabb was envisioning winning the Super Bowl Wednesday. Specifically, he was envisioning the postgame phone call from the White House to the victorious quarterback.
"The thing that I kind of think about now, what would be special, if we make it to the Super Bowl and win, and I get the phone call from Barack Obama. That would be excellent," said McNabb, who explained that he declined several requests to talk about Obama's candidacy before the election because he didn't want to jinx the first African-American president. McNabb's roots trace to the South Side of Chicago, where Obama worked as a community organizer in the late '80s. McNabb said when he met Obama, at a White House dinner in 2005, the Senator mentioned having followed McNabb's career since he was in high school.
Obama's victory resonated within the locker room of the Eagles, where currently 64 players dress, including practice squad and injury list members. Forty-three of those 64 are African-American.
Daily News staff
The Eagles have hit the halfway point at 5-3 and it is hard to tell what we really know about this team.
“We always talk about the halfway point and you always feel like if you’re within striking distance at the halfway point, then you have a chance down the stretch there," coach Andy Reid said. "The parity in the league is crazy right now. You have the Giants out there and the Titans out there and they have pretty good records ... Everybody else is kind of bunched up there within a game of each other, so you have to keep pushing.”
They have, however, managed to reinforce some of the familiar trends:
Daily News staff
From Ed Barkowitz at the NovaCare Complex:
L.J. Smith, who missed the Seahawks game with a concussion, is expected to practice Wednesday.
If Smith is cleared to play, he will start Sunday against the Giants despite Brent Celek’s huge game against the Seahawks. Celek had 131 receiving yards, a record for an Eagles tight end in a regular season game.
Daily News staff
What we're talking about after the Giants' win over Seattle:
1. The Giants are coming. The Giants are coming. After notching their third straight double-digit victory over a much-less-talented opponent, the 5-3 Eagles will find out a lot about themselves Sunday night when they face the 7-1 Giants.
2. Up-and-down Donovan. McNabb opened the game by completing just 3 of his first 13 passes. Also threw a he-should-know-better interception in the red zone. But he completed 25 of his last 30 passes and notched just his third multiple-TD game of the season.
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
So, the 2-5 Seahawks start the game without their two best defensive players and their quarterback, and what happens?
They set a franchise record with a 90-yard touchdown pass on their first offensive snap, of course, and the Eagles spend their first three possessions looking like they have no plan and no direction. Finally, on their fourth possession, they mount a drive, only to have cold-as-ice QB Donovan McNabb force a late throw into coverage and get picked off in the Seahawks' end zone.
The good news is that since that awful first play, the defense has been excellent. And McNabb just thawed out well enough to lead an 80-yard, six-plays-plus-two-penalties drive that tied the score, on a 22-yard pass to Reggie Brown.
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
We knew the Seattle Seahawks would be missing quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (back) and top pass rusher Patrick Kerney (shoulder) today at Qwest Field, but when the inactives came out, it was revealed that All-Pro linebacker Lofa Tatupu, who sustained a groin injury in last week's victory over San Francisco, also will be absent against the Eagles.
Tatupu has been a big factor in the Seahawks' last two victories over the Eagles. Last season at the Linc, he intercepted A.J. Feeley three times in a 28-24 Seattle victory. In 2005, also at the Linc, he returned a Mike McMahon interception 38 yards for a touchdown in a 42-0 Seahawks rout.
There were no surprises in the Eagles' inactive list. As expected, Jason Avant (upper back) will not play; he would have been the sixth wideout, which is a lot, anyway, especially with third tight end Matt Schobel dressed because starter L.J. Smith did not make the trip, still suffering from that concussion he sustained a week ago against Atlanta.
Daily News staff
It's another Game Day here at Eagletarian, so be sure to check with throughout the day as the Eagles visit Seattle to face the Seahawks.
STAFF PREDICTIONS
Here is how members of the Daily News sports staff see today's game:
