Archive: November, 2009
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Here's the player-by-player breakdown of the Eagles' offensive performance against the Redskins:
Donovan McNabb - He looked out of sync at times, but McNabb was at his best when it mattered most, going 5-for-8 for 115 yards on the team's final two drives, leading the Eagles to a comeback victory for the second straight week. His best throw was probably the 6-yard pass to Jeremy Maclin that picked up a first down on the game-winning drive. Had that ball been off even a little bit, it would have been batted down. His 35-yard toss to Maclin late was also a beauty. Overall, McNabb completed 21 of 35 passes for 260 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He does not look comfortable down near the goal line when he rolls out and looks for a tight end or receiver in the corner of the end zone. Nice job by McNabb to escape pressure and find DeSean Jackson for the first-half touchdown.
Michael Vick - He wasn't a factor and wasn't the answer in short yardage, even though he did a good job in those situations last week. Vick had a 4-yard run down near the goal line, but couldn't pick up the first on a 3rd-and-1 later in the quarter, in what was a very awkward-looking run. He attempted a pass once again but couldn't connect with Brent Celek.
LeSean McCoy - A really impressive effort. Fun to watch this guy improve on a weekly basis. Seventeen carries for 76 yards and four catches for 25. His standout play was the shovel pass on the 2-point conversion. McCoy tripped over Todd Herremans at the 3, but somehow stayed on his feet and found the end zone. As a blocker, McCoy didn't have to do a ton, but he did miss one in the fourth, allowing a linebacker to hit McNabb, who was still able to complete a 20-yard pass to Jason Avant.
Leonard Weaver - Six carries for 44 yards. Probably should have gotten the ball more. Weaver had a nice 18-yard run in the first and gained 12 yards on a fourth-quarter carry to set up the Eagles' touchdown. He also picked up a first down on 4th-and-inches. Not sure why he's not the guy in every short-yardage/goal-line situation.
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
The word "nasty" and Donovan McNabb have pretty much never been used in the same sentence since the Eagles' signal-caller arrived on the scene here in 1999.
Which is why my ears perked up when he answered a question about whether his demeanor has changed since the Eagles went down to the Chargers in Week 10.
"When you have a talented team like we have, every now and then you have to bring that nasty attitude out and if it's a spark by me by what I say, or just maybe my play or even just me being there, that's what I look forward to doing," McNabb said, adding that he couldn't repeat what he said in the huddle in the fourth quarter because there was some colorful language. "And when you look across the board, yes, they are young. But I think they played enough games where they understand how to prepare and what to expect."
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
With 11:42 remaining in the fourth quarter, the mood at Lincoln Financial Field couldn't have been gloomier.
The Eagles, nine-point favorites, trailed the Redskins, 24-16. And DeSean Jackson was out of the game with a head and neck injury.
But for the second week in a row, the Birds rallied late and somehow came away with a 27-24 win to remain one game behind the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East race.
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
We are live at the Linc for Eagles-Redskins, and the live chat will get going at 1.
Above are some photos of the pre-game tailgating scene outside. Perfect day for that. Sunny and in the 50s.
It looks like Albert Haynesworth will be inactive, according to Jason La Canfora of nfl.com. We'll get the full list of inactives momentarily.
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Join me at 1 p.m. for a live chat during today's Eagles-Redskins game. I'll provide updates and commentary live from the Linc.
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Here are 10 observations from the Redskins' 7-6 loss to the Cowboys last week.
And don't forget, we're live-chatting from the Linc Sunday afternoon.
1. Jason Campbell pretty much had no chance. You know the old idea of a quarterback dropping back, looking for a receiver and making a throw? Not sure that applies to him. Constant pressure. No trust between Campbell and the offensive line. He always had someone in his face. Campbell's been sacked 29 times on the season. Only Aaron Rodgers has been sacked more among NFC quarterbacks. When Campbell had time against Dallas, he made some nice, accurate throws.
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Our weekly visit from Dave Staley of sportsbook.com:
Q: What's the line this week for Eagles-'Skins?
A: Philadelphia is currently nine-point favorite, which is exactly where it opened. After a dismal first half of the season in which Washington went 1-7 against the spread, the 'Skins covered their last two games with ease. Two weeks ago, they were three-point underdogs to the Broncos, but won outright by 10. Then last week, they lost by one point as 10.5-point 'dogs.
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
In an otherwise awful day of Thanksgiving Day football, one player's performance stood out for Eagles fans across the country.
Brian Dawkins.
The Broncos' safety, who turned 36 in October, played like he was 10 years younger, forcing a fumble, recovering another and leading all players with eight tackles in Denver's 26-6 win over the Giants.
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Here's our weekly look at the NFC East.
The Eagles will either gain ground or lose ground on Thanksgiving when the Cowboys host the Raiders and the Giants travel to Denver to take on the Broncos.
Dallas Cowboys (7-3)
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
The Eagles had eight penalties for 46 yards during their win over the Bears: five on offense, two on defense and one on special teams.
Jason Peters was called for two (a false start and tripping), making him the team leader now with six on the season.
Dimitri Patterson was also flagged twice.
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