Posted: Monday, September 29, 2008, 1:31 PM | 16 comments |
 

Reid still confident with Akers
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Eagles coach Andy Reid vowed that he still has confidence in kicker David Akers during his news conference today.

"I do," the coach said the day after his team's 24-20 loss to the Chicago Bears. "He needs to make those kicks, but I do (have confidence in Akers)."

The Eagles' veteran kicker missed wide right on a 50-yard field goal and hit the right upright on a 47-yarder in the third quarter. Had he made one of the two, the Eagles would have only needed a field goal to win the game when they were stopped near the goal line in the fourth quarter.

"The wind was blowing toward our bench," Reid said. "Where he was aiming was closer to the right side of the goal post. That's where he aimed and the wind didn't blow it back."

Reid said the two misses were more a case of miscalculating the wind than Akers' leg strength.

"I think the leg strength is still there," the coach said. "You can see it on his kickoffs."

INJURY NEWS. Reid said he wasn't certain if running back Brian Westbrook (strained right ankle) would be able to return to practice Wednesday when the team starts preparing for Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins.

"If he had to practice today, he wouldn't be able to do it," Reid said. "As far as how he feels, he feels better (than last week)."

Westbrook went through warmups before Sunday night's game, but he wasn't able to play.

Reid also said that Pro Bowl guard  Shawn Andrews' back issue is not improving.

"He's going to see (a specialist) this week," Reid said. "We have to find a way to get it better. The doctors are optimistic about it."

Reid said surgery is not an option for Andrews right now.

The coach said that tight end L.J. Smith's sore back was improving.

 
Posted by Bob Brookover @ 1:31 PM  Permalink | 16 comments
16
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:15 PM, 09/29/2008
    Why is he confident in Akers? Akers is 23% the last 2 years from beyond 40 yards- thats awful!
    — ilario
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:11 PM, 09/29/2008
    The first kick Akers attempted from 50 yards was definitely his fault. Watching the 47-yard attempt he was right on, the wind just didn't blow the ball back in between the uprights. Some blame does need to be thrown onto Akers, but not all of it. The birds had 4 turnovers. You have to get the ball into the end zone more often. The playcalling on the one yard line was horrible. Run the ball once, if not twice. If that doesn't succeed go with a pass play giving Donovan the option of running the ball in himself. As for Desean Jackson, while watching the muffed punt live it looked to be completely his fault, but the replay appeared he slipped. Still have to make the catch though.
    — CupCRAZE23
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:26 PM, 09/29/2008
    Does Lorenzo Booker remind anyone else of Reno Mahe?
    — Matt
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:34 PM, 09/29/2008
    Akers can barely make it into the endzone on kickoffs anymore, and the few times he does, it's a straight kick that doesnt hang long enough in the air for the team to make it down there and prevent a long return---this has to be his last year. I hope this isn't the same level of confidence Reid has in our receiving corps, if so he's fooling himself as usual.
    — txstingray
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:04 PM, 09/29/2008
    He still has leg strength....he no longer has long range accuracy
    — JamesJ
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:32 PM, 09/29/2008
    Akers did not lose this game. Reid did. One wonders if Reid has confidence in Reid any more, instead of Akers. Four straight running plays into the line? Ruined a nice weekend for us. Why attempt a 50 yarder when you can run the ball and have a decent chance of getting first down? The loss was building through the game because of unimaginative play calling.
    — prudential2
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:33 PM, 09/29/2008
    I'm at the point now whenever Akers lines up for a 40 yard field goal or longer I think he's going to miss. I said it last year that he really worries me, and I thought they should've brought someone else in to training camp this year to compete against him. Of course reid didn't bring anyone in at least not to my knowledge. The worst part about it is there are a lot of good young kickers out there. As far as Booker is concernced makes me even more mad. I watched him at FSU and saw that he was a good player, however I just don't see anything in him so far. He appears to be very small out there and hasn't given us anything. To think we traded away our first round pick basically to get this guy is really frustrating. Whats even more frustrating is the Eagles are a few bad plays and poor coaching decisions away from being 4-0. As of right now, LETS GO PHILLIES!!!
    — captain24
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:38 PM, 09/29/2008
    I have a theory. Is it possible Akers is missing b/c he is a person?
    — mrs.timothy.otoole
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:00 PM, 09/29/2008
    Akers is KILLING the ball still. Nobody hits placekicks for points longer than he does. Loss of accuracy is not an age factor, it is a snap and hold and timing factor. He still doesn't have the confidence he had with Koy and Bartrum, unfortunately.
    — Bake McBride
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:59 PM, 09/29/2008
    The two field goals he missed were due to the wind. Ever been to Chicago? They don't call it the Windy City for nothing. The longer the attempt, the more the wind affects the attempt. On the first attempt, he was trying to account for the wind because it was a long attempt and the wind died when he kicked it. On the second attempt, the ball moved two different directions due to the wind. The wind there can swirl and it can change directions sometimes. Chicago is a tough place to kick. It's too bad but we still should have won that game anyway.
    — JimG
  • Comment removed.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:17 PM, 09/29/2008
    Why dont we just blame #89 Schobel for his half assed attempt at a block on 4th and goal. Any type of bump scrape or rub against the Bears RE and CBuck gets in easily and we win. Who wiffs on his block on 4th and goal from the 1 with 2 mins to play ??
    — CSpangler
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:39 PM, 09/29/2008
    I AGREE WITH JIMG ON A WINDY DAY IN CHICAGO, N.Y. PHILA ANY OUTSIDE FIELD GO FOR THE ONE YARD AND A FIRST DOWN RATHER THAN A 50 YARD FIELD GOAL. COMMON SENSE.
    — JACK V
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:28 PM, 09/29/2008
    It's not just the Chicago wind. He's been inaccurate beyond 45 yards for a long time. He hasn't been the same accurate long kicker since the ugly hamstring injury and it's gotten worse. You are right in that the leg strength is there. It tells me that it might be a confidence issue. He really needs to get focused deeper into the Gracie Jiu Jitsu again to get his mind straightened out.
    — Bob1


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About Jeff McLane and Jonathan Tamari






Jeff McLane (left) began covering the Eagles in April 2009 after covering college sports and Penn State football in particular. Before that he wrote about high school sports and before that he worked in the mailroom (not quite). Find Jeff on Facebook and follow him on Twitter for instant updates on the Eagles.

Jonathan Tamari (right) began covering the Eagles in April 2010. He previously covered New Jersey state government and politics, reporting and writing about elections, policy debates and the many personalities that drive the Garden State, from three recent governors to the many musicians bidding to write the state song. He has been at the Inquirer since June 2008. Follow him on Twitter at @JonathanTamari.

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