Birds' D to 'Break out the Mats'?
The Philadelphia Daily News - Eagletarian
Birds' D to 'Break out the Mats'?
Les Bowen, Daily News Staff Writer
Nobody puts on pads and tackles in practice in December in the NFL, and the Eagles aren't going to, even after their tackling-challenged 45-38 victory over the New York Giants Sunday night. Largely because of short plays that became long plays through the magic of "oops!" arm-waves at ballcarriers, the Birds allowed 512 yards in total offense, the most any Eagles team has ever allowed and won a game. And there have been 72 years worth of Eagles teams.
Even though the Eagles are 9-4, lead the NFC East, control their playoff destiny, and have won 4 in a row, tackling dominated head coach Andy Reid's day-after news conference. Reid said that even though tackling in practice is impractical, 13 games into the season, it might be time to "break out the mats" and teach slow-speed fundamentals Wednesday when the team begins preparing for the 49ers.
"As you teach it, you've got to be very specific," Reid said. "Whatever the coaching point is -- eyes down, wrapping up, running through the tackle, whatever that weakness is, identify it, teach and move on. Maybe it's leverage, maybe with a corner, you're driving the inside shoulder instead of the outside shoulder. All the little fundamental things that need to take place there."
Reid said rookie wideout Jeremy Maclin tore a plantar fascia and strained another, on the same foot. He said Maclin will miss this week's game, but might be available a week or 2 after that.
Reid acknowledged a roster move is possible, but said he wants to see how wideout Kevin Curtis looks Wednesday.Curtis is trying to return from October knee surgery, and last week seemed reasonably close to playing. Reid said last week Curtis' legs were tired and his wind wasn't great.
Reid said he also wants to see how running back Brian Westbrook (concussion) feels on Wednesday, before classifying his status for the 49ers game.
BTW, the Dec. 27 home game against Brian Dawkins and the Broncos has been moved from 1 to 4:15 p.m.
There he is. There is one of the idiots. Bill1966 I guess it is hard to wake up this morning huh? The Eagles won, McNabb looked good, I guess you want to take a gun and blow your brains out. Please share with us your brilliant analysis on how McNabb sucked last night and how Kolb could've done a better job. Please also tell me how that team has no heart when the went into an opponent's stadium, gave up the lead, and on the very next play scored to retake the lead. That really shows me a team that lays down and dies. I guess guys like Cole, Jackson, Trotter, and Weaver have no heart. Maybe the Eagles and you can take a trip to the Wizard of Oz (and bring Voytas and puke with you) so they can get a heart and you can get a brain.— oharabri- Wonderful win!...Especially since I figured the G's were due to bounce us around. And even though they DID....D-Jack's brilliant plays, Mc5's great play at QB, and the wonderful TD return by our cornerback (...no, not HIM....the OTHER one!)helped keep them at bay. And don't forget the two times the D NEEDED to stop them....they DID. So bless their first place hearts, one and all! But as much as I love this team, I know it will not win the Superbowl, nor even get to the Conference Finals. But we just MIGHT get through the first round of the playoffs, depending on who we play. I'm afraid our defense will just turn to tissue-paper when we run into one of those gunslingers out there, especially N'Awlens. I'll say this: if it can't be US...I hope and pray that it IS New Orleans. Can't think of another franchise that has had to put up with so much adversity of it's history. And the folks in that area could use a few hours/days of hand clapping, instead of hand-wringing because of the ruining of the area's population due to Katrina.— TBear
- Yes tackling the Giants receivers seemed to be a real problem for the Eagles secondary last night. It was like some of the guys were actually playing touch football like back in high school days. The defense needs to step it up if the Eagles are going to be contenders down the road into the playoffs. Like the jingle goes, hit-em low, hit-em high and watch those giants fly!!!!— West Coast Philly Fan
Comment removed.
Half a millenium = 500. You missed 488.- Maybe the worst game I've ever seen Mikell have. Good to get it out of his system. He'll be back.— tacklinjoe
- What I see is too much ball hawking--stop trying to strip the ball. First guy has to wrap up, 2nd guy go for the ball. But how about Jackson and Weave!— DerbyBound
- Comment removed.
DerbyBound is right, too much trying to tackle the ball not the man. Glad to hear breaking out the mats means practicing tackling. I thought it meant they were going to war with the other families and Clemenza was going to start cooking the spaghetti and meatballs.— tornadoh- @Lephtee9 Yards, not points. @junethe4th If I were the player, I'd rather be tackling in December than watching the playoffs in January, which was a very possible outcome if the Eagles had wound up losing this game.— kilauea50
- @ junethe4th tackling in december rain or watching the playoffs in your living room, which was a very real possibility if the Eagles had lost that game. @ Lephtee9 - yards, not points.— kilauea50
