Birds Planned to Have 10 on Field? Ah, Suurrrre...
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
Birds Planned to Have 10 on Field? Ah, Suurrrre...
Daily News staff and Les Bowen
Bobby April played it cagey today when asked about the Eagles' only having 10 men on the field for the critical onsides kick in the win over the Giants.
April would not say whether he intentionally had a player run off the field, drawing the Giants' attention and playing with 10. (The Giants assumed it was part of the play.) April said he wanted to keep that confidential. He agreed with a questioner who concluded that the confusion indeed might not have been on purpose.
April said the true deception had to do with David Akers' ability to make it look like he was kicking it downfield.
One might infer from April's manner and his remarks that the running-off-the-field almost certainly was not planned.
Of the Omar Gaither block on the gamewinning punt return that took out three Giants players, April said, "We call that bowling for dollars."
* Earlier this week, Andy Reid said the Eagles have had to make more adjustments on offense because defenses are showing things that they had not done on film against other opponents. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said today that you don't want to over-anticipate strange things that the defense might do against Michael Vick. He cautioned against chasing ghosts. He said the most important quality for a quarterback is gut instincts, which he said Vick showed in leading Sunday's fourth-quarter comeback.
* Mornhinweg said it was a little early to compare DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin to Jerry Rice and John Taylor, the duo Mornhinweg worked with in San Francisco, but Morhinweg said "DeSean is just about the most dynamic player I've ever had." He added that Maclin has been an overlooked touchdown maker. Maclin has 10 TD receptions on the season.
* And in stating the obvious, he termed being able to score points late in the game as "a good thing."
* Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott said Stewart Bradley is the starter at middle linebacker when he returns from a dislocated elbow. Rookie Jamar Chaney had 15 tackles Sunday against the Giants. McDermott said Chaney handled the huddle well, played physical football, "scraped and found the football."
* Asked about the franchise record 30 touchdown passes the Eagles have allowed this year, McDermott said those points come with turnovers. The Eagles are among the top teams in the league in turnover margin.
* McDermott said cornerback Dimitri Patterson was "right there" in the third and fourth quarters after a rough start against the Giants.
* McDermott also conceded the second quarter was not very good at all for the Eagles' defense as the Giants built their lead. He added that the team has done a good job with plugging in rookies and keeping things together.
* He said the run/pass combination ability of Vikings quarterback Joe Webb is dangerous.
***
Eagles center Jamaal Jackson made a rare locker room appearance. Jackson is well along the road to recovery from the torn triceps he suffered in the season opener. Jackson missed another season with a torn triceps, early in his career. As he noted, that year the Eagles went to the Super Bowl. But this isn't the sort of cause and effect he wants to encourage.
Jackson said he has been "one of the biggest fans from my couch," and feels successor Mike McGlynn "has handled it great."
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I look for a 20-point win Sunday night, a 13-point win over Dallas next week, and a date for Mr. Vick in Atlanta for the NFC title - doesn't that reek of destiny at this point?— Brian F.- A win is a win, whether its by one point or a thousand. Lets just take one game at a time. — low2behold
- One has to think vick does not stay in the whole game this week. Who else would you put on the shelf after this game is in hand?— djack10
Mike blows the Vikings away 48-10. He seizes the Division Crown in style. Kev finishes the VIKES game and starts against the Cowboys. Brian F. I have been saying the same thing. It would be Poetic Justice to finish Atlanta in the house that Mike built. Can't acknowledge enough my respect for the Job Howie Roseman did on this draft and plugging in guys throughout the season that have held their own on the field of play. AWESOME JOB. Go Eagles. SEE U IN DALLAS.- How is it poetic justice that Vick goes back to Atlanta with the chance to win? What did that organization do to him that was so wrong? Make him the highest paid player (at that time)? Asked for the truth about the investigation and get lied to? Was it wrong of them to move on with Matt Ryan? Vick's lying and crimes could have put that organization down and out for a few years. Luckily for them, Ryan is the real deal. I'm sick and tired of the Falcons being portrayed as though they did something wrong. They've wished him well against everyone but them. Seems like a classy organization if you ask me.— kmon
- I don't think anybody in the world questions the Atlanta Falcons on their decision to move on from Vick. I think the poetic justice comment is merely stating that it would just feel right to have Vick play for his shot at the crown in the very stadium he helped to se ablaze during his early days. I think most people would have agreed that the Falcons absolutely made the correct decision, if for nothing else, he had such awful work ethic at the time — papabear702
- We have a legitimate powerhouse offense. Unfortunately, we also have a legitimate doghouse of a defense. It wouldn't have been such a big deal this year.....except we seem to be going to the playoffs. Best we can hope for is to have the Jets sucker-punch Da Bears for us, and swipe their two seed while they're busy looking elsewhere. That would mean having to win both remaining.....but if the Jets can give us a hand....I think V-7 & Co. can handle that.— TBear
Vick doesn't sit until the #2 seed is locked in.- The players involved with the onsides kick were interviewed the other night on Tv and clearly they knew they had made a mistake, they explained why one was running off and a replacement not yet in the game. there was no trick to it, just confusion. While there is no penalty for having too few men per se, did they have a proper formation for the kickoff with the man missing? The eagles after the recovery did kind of look like they did not believe the onside kick had worked, they looked around like they were expecting something to be called.— atp2007
- I'm not looking for any point spread, but we need to play every game hard and take a winning mentality into the post season. Nuff said. No predictions.— low2behold
Eagles romp over Minnesota 42-17— wylies99
god i hope favre plays, it would just be amazing to see the eagles end his career... for good this time.
