DIDN'T KNOW DOC WAS ALSO A MECHANIC
Here are our grades for the Eagles' 33-14 win over Tampa Bay:
RUSHING OFFENSE
The Eagles only rushed for 76 yards and 30 of those came on two runs by quarterback Donovan McNabb. Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy combined for just 32 yards on 12 carries. Not good. Particularly against a defense that was ranked 30th against the run going in. Grade: D
PASSING OFFENSE
Back after missing two games with a fractured rib, Donovan McNabb turned in one of the better performances of his career. He completed 16 of 21 passes and threw for three TDs, including two to rookie Jeremy Maclin, who finished with 142 receiving yards. Grade: A-plus
RUN DEFENSE
The Bucs had 85 rushing yards, but 40 of them came on five scrambles by quarterback Josh Johnson. Their two running backs, Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward, were held to 45 yards on 16 carries, though Ward broke free for a 28-yard gain on third-and-15 late in the second quarter. Grade: A-minus
PASS DEFENSE
Yes, they intercepted Josh Johnson three times. But they also gave up two TD passes to tight end Kellen Winslow and allowed a disturbing 13 passing first downs, which was just two less than they gave up to the Saints’ Drew Brees. Grade: C-minus
SPECIAL TEAMS
They had two dumb early penalties and gave up 34- and 38-yard kickoff returns to Clifton Smith. Their return game wasn’t productive. David Akers nailed his only field-goal attempt – a 44-yarder – and punter Sav Rocca had one of the best days of his career. He had a 48.8-yard gross average and a 43.4 net average. Grade: C-plus
OVERALL
The good news is they beat a team they should have beaten and gave yet another indication that their passing game is going to be special this season. The bad news is they didn’t run the ball well and allowed the league’s second-worst third-down offense to convert nine of 18 times. Grade: B
To read Andy Reid's postgame remarks, click here
To read Les Bowen's thoughts from the game as it happened, click here.
Les
Bowen has covered the Eagles for the Daily News
since 2002.
Before that, he spent nearly 13 years covering the Flyers. It took Les
only a few seasons after the switch to figure out that there was no
penalty box at the Linc, and that the time really wasn't his, despite
what Andy Reid kept saying. Les came to Philadelphia and the Daily News
from Charlotte in 1983. In the intervening years, he has pretty much
lost track of NASCAR, and his accent. He, his wife Barbara, and their
two sons live in Haddon Township, New Jersey.
E-mail Les at bowenl@phillynews.com
and follow
him on Twitter.
Paul
Domowitch has been with the Daily News since 1982.
He has spent most of his nearly 3 decades with the paper covering the
Eagles and pro football. For the last 10 years, he’s been a
selector for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A native of Wilkes-Barre
and a graduate of Wilkes University, Domo started his career in Texas,
working first for the Midland Reporter-Telegram (1976-78), and then for
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where he covered some god-awful Texas
Ranger baseball teams. His first beat at the Daily News actually was
boxing, which he covered just long enough to lose 2 sports coats to
blood spatter before moving on to football. Domo and his wife Shelley,
a University of Oklahoma grad who still hasn’t gotten over
that Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State 5 years ago, have 2 terrific
daughters -- Allison, 28, who is an attorney in South Jersey, and Amy,
25, who works in administration for a professional baseball team.
E-mail Domo at PDomo@aol.com and follow
him on Twitter.
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