NFL Draft
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Here's the player-by-player look at the Eagles' offensive performance against the Titans after I re-watched the game.
Check out the post on the defense from Monday in case you missed it.
Kevin Kolb- I'll have the in-depth look tomorrow, but Kolb had a lot of ups and downs. He missed a throw to Brent Celek that could have picked up at least 20 yards; a throw to Chad Hall that would have gained 15-plus; a throw to Jeremy Maclin that would have gained at least 20; and another throw to Maclin at the end of the first half that should have been a touchdown but was nearly intercepted because it was underthrown. Kolb settled down in the second half and made some good throws overall, like the touchdown to Riley Cooper, the 17-yard completion to Maclin with pressure in his face and the 9-yard completion to Cooper before the disastrous fumble. Kolb said after the game that the early misses cost the Eagles. He was right. Overall, 26-for-48 for 231 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Here's the player-by-player look at the Eagles' defensive performance in Sunday's loss to the Titans after I re-watched the game:
Juqua Parker- He had a costly penalty in the second quarter. With the Titans facing a 3rd-and-10 at the Eagles' 45, Parker and Trent Cole lined up as blitzing linebackers behind the defensive tackles. They creeped up to the line of scrimmage, and Parker was in full attack mode. That was a good thing when he threw Chris Johnson out of his way and got hold of Kerry Collins. That was a bad thing when he slammed Collins to the ground and was called for a personal foul penalty. The throw had been incomplete, but the penalty kept the drive alive. Three plays later, Collins found Kenny Britt for a 26-yard touchdown. As for Parker's play overall, it was OK. He wasn't fooled on play-action on the game's first play from scrimmage, pressuring Collins and forcing him to throw it away. Parker got good pressure on the play where Cole ended up with a sack. And he stopped Johnson after a gain of 1 on a 3rd-and-22 run in the second. Parker also recovered the fumble forced by Quintin Mikell in the first half. He has not, however, registered a sack in his last four games after picking up four in the first three games.
Brandon Graham- His playing time continues to decrease. Graham was on the field for just 18 snaps, a season-low. Part of that is likely because he was listed on Friday's injury report for illness and an ankle issue. He rotated in at defensive end, but was pretty quiet. On the roughing the passer play I described above, Graham was lined up at right defensive tackle as Sean McDermott put six defensive linemen on the field at the same time.
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Here's the player-by-player breakdown of the Eagles' offensive performance against the Falcons after having re-watched the game.
Click here for the defensive rundown from yesterday.
Kevin Kolb- I'll have the full breakdown of his performance tomorrow, but the numbers speak for themselves. Kolb completed 23 of 29 passes for 326 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Two of the incompletions were drops, and one was batted down at the line of scrimmage. Kolb's 34-yard completion to DeSean Jackson was a beauty. His most impressive throw was probably the touchdown to Jeremy Maclin in the end zone. Kolb found Jason Avant for 21 yards on 2nd-and-13 with the Eagles backed up in their own end zone in the third. In the fourth, he fit the ball in a small window for a 14-yard completion to Brent Celek on 3rd-and-5. Kolb really helped the offensive line by getting rid of the ball quickly.
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Here's the player-by-player breakdown of the Eagles' defensive performance in Sunday's win over the Falcons after I re-watched the game:
Juqua Parker- Pretty quiet game for Parker. After totaling four sacks in the first three games, he's gone without one in the last three. Parker dropped back into coverage five times, more than any other defensive lineman. On the Tony Gonzalez touchdown in the fourth quarter, it looked like the Falcons' tight end was Parker's responsibility, at least initially. Only Trent Cole played more than him among defensive linemen.
Brandon Graham- He left the game in the fourth quarter, but continues to see his playing time decrease. Graham played just 20 snaps and didn't do much. He brought Michael Turner down after a 4-yard gain in the second, but that's the only time I noticed him.
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Here's the player-by-player breakdown of the Eagles' offensive performance after having re-watched the game.
If you missed Man Up on the defense from yesterday, click here.
Kevin Kolb- I'll post What About Kolb? on Wednesday with a full breakdown, but some quick comments here. I thought it was imperative for him to get off to a good start, and he did, completing his first nine attempts. He got the ball downfield with four completions of 20 yards or more, including the 32-yarder to Brent Celek early. The touchdown pass was very impressive. Kolb fought off pressure, kept his eyes on potential targets and squeezed a throw in to Celek for the score. The second-half woes cannot be pinned all on Kolb. There was a missed field goal, the puzzling Eldra Buckley call on 3rd-and-1 and a couple passes that Brent Celek was unable to make.
LeSean McCoy- I wrote about him at length after the game. McCoy makes people miss almost every time he touches the ball. He's showing great vision and patience. McCoy did a good job helping to block a defensive back on the 41-yard throw to Jeremy Maclin and had a good blitz pickup on a different deep attempt to Maclin. Was he flawless? No. McCoy fumbled for the second straight game, and he made a mistake going down when he had a chance to pick up a first down with under two minutes left. But he's taken a huge leap in his second season and become one of the most valuable players on this team.
Owen Schmitt- He played quite a bit (40 percent of the plays). Schmitt made a big block on McCoy's 8-yard run in the first quarter. He did a good job picking up a defender on Kolb's 9-yard throw to Maclin for a first down in the second. Schmitt had two catches for 19 yards. Good job by Howie Roseman and company to find a capable fill-in for Leonard Weaver.
Mike Bell- He was on the field for seven plays. Same ole story with Bell. Four carries for 8 yards. On one, he was lined up as a fullback.
Eldra Buckley- Was Mike McGlynn's snap high on the Wildcat play to Buckley? Yes. But I can't wrap my head around how he could have been the best option on that 3rd-and-1 play. It's the only time all game Buckley was on the field.
Winston Justice- Justice had a decent game. He held up for the most part in pass protection, and most of the runs started up the middle or to the left side.
Max Jean-Gilles- Jean-Gilles had ups and downs, and I think that's what you can expect from him. He did a good job in one-on-one pass protection on Kolb's 13-yard pass to Maclin. He did not do a very good job on a McCoy 5-yard run in the second or a McCoy 1-yard run in the second. On the play where Kolb fumbled, Jean-Gilles got driven back as the pocket collapsed. He did an OK job getting to the second level on a 6-yard McCoy carry in the third and did a good job on a 5-yard McCoy run in the third.
Mike McGlynn- Center is probably the most difficult position to evaluate off TV, but I thought McGlynn had his best game of the season by far. He did a nice job on McCoy's 29-yard touchdown run. He stood out on a McCoy 5-yard run in the third and a 3-yard Bell carry. McGlynn had an outstanding one-on-one block on nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin as McCoy carried for 6 yards in the third. And he showed good athleticism, getting out in front of a McCoy screen in the first. The snap to Buckley was not good, but overall, this was a very encouraging performance from McGlynn.
Todd Herremans- Aside from penalties, Herremans had a very strong game. Nice job on Patrick Willis on a McCoy 3-yard run in the second. He also did a good job on the following plays: a 5-yard McCoy carry in the second, a 14-yard McCoy run, a 3-yard McCoy run, a 14-yard McCoy run, the 29-yard McCoy TD run, a 5-yard McCoy run in the third and a 6-yard McCoy run in the third. The Eagles had a lot of success running the ball, and Herremans was a huge part of that effort. He was good in protection too and came up with the big fumble recovery that could have been a game-changer in the fourth. Herremans was called for two penalties - a holding and a false start. But as a blocker, he had probably his best game of the season.
Jason Peters- He was sidelined after eight plays. Despite his flaws, there's a big dropoff when Peters is out.
King Dunlap- It was a rough go for Dunlap. He was beat by Justin Smith for a sack in the second and had trouble with Smith on a Kolb incompletion intended for Jackson. Dunlap was beat by Manny Lawson for a sack and forced fumble at the end of the first half. And Travis LaBoy beat him for a sack in the third. In the run game, he did not do a good job on a 3-yard McCoy run in the second. Dunlap did a decent job on a McCoy 5-yard run in the second. He did a better job in pass protection in the second half, although the Eagles gave him some help. I'm not sure the Eagles will go with him next week if Peters can't play. If they do, they'll have to give him a lot of help on the left side.
Brent Celek- He had a big 32-yard reception on the first drive. The touchdown was a strange play. Celek was in as a blocker and got beat by Lawson. Kolb escaped the pocket, and Celek did a good job to not give up on the play. He showed good strength to make the catch at the 2 and drag a defensive back into the end zone with him. Celek had chances for a couple big plays in the second half, but he couldn't make them. The one on 3rd-and-5 in the fourth is one he should make if he wants to be considered a Pro Bowl caliber player.
Garrett Mills- He played just eight snaps and didn't do much. Mills lined up out wide as a receiver on one play in the third quarter.
DeSean Jackson- Second straight quiet game for Jackson. He was not targeted on a pass until the Eagles' 19th play from scrimmage. He did a good job in the Wildcat, picking up 8 yards on a 3rd-and-3 in the first quarter. Jackson had a 20-yard grab in the second. Overall, three targets, two catches and 24 yards.
Jeremy Maclin- He had probably his best game of the year. A couple good catches on low throws - a 5-yarder in the first and a 22-yarder in the fourth. Maclin also hauled in a 41-yard reception in the third, making a nice adjustment on the ball. Five of his six catches went for first downs. Six catches for 95 yards overall.
Jason Avant- Only targeted twice and caught both of them for 13 yards. Avant had an 8-yard grab for a first down in the red zone on the first drive.
Chad Hall- He was on the field for nine plays and hauled in his first career catch - a 9-yard reception for a first down on 3rd-and-2 in the third quarter.
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Earlier Monday, I detailed some of the changes Sean McDermott made on defense in Week 5.
Here's the player-by-player breakdown against the 49ers after having re-watched the game:
Juqua Parker- He got the start at left defensive end and played more than he has all season. Parker did not notch a sack, but had some good moments. After being whistled for offsides on a third down in the second, he batted down an Alex Smith pass on the very next play. A couple times when Parker brought pressure from the left side, Smith panicked and left the pocket, even though he probably didn't have to. In the fourth, Parker had Smith by the jersey, but couldn't bring him down. He played mostly left defensive end, but also saw some time at right defensive end when Trent Cole was sidelined. Parker dropped back into coverage three times. He was OK against the run and made a good stop on Frank Gore after a gain of 2 in the second.
Brandon Graham- He did not start and played less than he has all season. But Graham was pretty good when he was on the field. He brought pressure off the edge on the Dimitri Patterson interception in the second. He forced Smith to step up and throw incomplete on a first down in the second. Graham and Cole fell on Gore, who stumbled in the backfield for a loss in the second. His big play of course was the sack and forced fumble that resulted in a defensive touchdown in the fourth. He dropped back into coverage three times, including the 31-yard completion to Vernon Davis on 3rd-and-21. The Niners ran at Graham for a 16-yard gain in the third as he was blocked by Davis.
Mike Patterson- Patterson had some good moments. He dropped Gore after a 1-yard gain in the first. On the play that resulted in the Mikell touchdown, Patterson got good pressure up the middle, helping to force Smith out of the pocket.
Antonio Dixon- Dixon looked good replacing Bunkley at defensive tackle. He brought Gore down after a gain of 1 in the first and stopped him after a gain of 2 in the second. Dixon also picked up a sack in the second half. Update: He better get ready to fill in some more with the news of Bunkley's potential season-ending elbow surgery.
Trevor Laws- He saved his best for last. I hadn't written down a single note for Laws until the 49ers' final drive. He came up with hits on Smith on back-to-back plays to end the game. On the last play, Laws' pressure resulted in the Trevard Lindley interception.
Brodrick Bunkley- He went down on the 49ers' second offensive play from scrimmage. We should find out more on Wednesday about the severity of the injury. Update: Andy Reid said on his radio show that Bunkley will need elbow surgery and might be out for the year.
Darryl Tapp- How was this guy inactive the first two games of the season? He seems to make plays every time he's on the field. Tapp was not fooled on play-action in the third and hit Smith, helping to force an incompletion. His pressure from the right defensive end position helped cause the Dixon sack. Tapp did a good job of tackling Smith after he tried to scramble on a third down in the third. In the fourth, he sniffed out a screen to Gore that went incomplete. And he hustled to bring Josh Morgan down for a 3-yard loss after Morgan swung out of a Cole tackle late in the game. Tapp lined up in several different places and dropped back into coverage a couple times.
Trent Cole- Not a huge game from Cole, but he was his usual, active self. Against the run, Cole dropped Gore for a loss of 2 down near the goal line on the 49ers' first drive. In the fourth, Cole hit Smith from the blind side to force an incompletion. He later got good pressure and forced Smith to roll out, even though he found Michael Crabtree for a completion. Cole was sidelined for a stretch in the second half but later returned. He was whistled for a neutral zone infraction in the second.
Moise Fokou- He got the start at strong-side linebacker and looked much more active than Akeem Jordan. The big play was the forced fumble in the first quarter. Fokou also made a good tackle on Gore on a screen pass that went for 4 yards in the first. Look for him to hold on to the starting job against the Falcons.
Stewart Bradley- Bradley is struggling right now. He missed a tackle on Crabtree near the sideline on a play that ended up going for 17 yards. He also missed a tackle on Gore near the line of scrimmage on a play that went for 16. In coverage, Bradley was beat by Davis on gains of 36 and 27, respectively. He had some good moments - bringing Gore down after a gain of 4 in the first and a gain of 2 in the third. But overall, it's clear his recovery is going to take some time.
Ernie Sims- Sims had some good moments and was OK overall. He blew up Brian Westbrook on a fake handoff in the second as Smith was forced to run. Sims made a good tackle on Gore after a 5-yard reception in the fourth. He was slammed to the ground by right tackle Anthony Davis on a 6-yard Westbrook run. Sims and Nate Allen had good coverage on Davis on the final touchdown, but Smith threw a very good pass. He blitzed six times, the most of any linebacker. Update: I forgot to mention that Sims also forced a Gore fumble.
Ellis Hobbs- I didn''t have one thing written down for him, which means the 49ers never threw in his direction. He finished without a tackle or a pass defended. No penalties either. That counts as a good showing in my book.
Joselio Hanson- He got the start with Asante Samuel sidelined. Hanson was beaten by Crabtree on the first drive for an 11-yard gain on 3rd-and-8. Ted Ginn Jr. caught a 17-yard pass against Hanson on 3rd-and-1 in the second, although it's tough to tell whether he was supposed to get more help on the play. Hanson had some good moments though. He had good coverage on Davis at the end of the first half, forcing an incompletion and a field-goal attempt. And Hanson recovered the Gore fumble in the first. He blitzed a lot too (six times).
Dimitri Patterson- Patterson was on the field in nickel and dime situations. He was beat by Crabtree on the 7-yard touchdown in the first. But he later made a nice adjustment on the ball and came away with an interception. Patterson blitzed five times.
Trevard Lindley- He played nearly 32 percent of the snaps after being inactive the previous two weeks. Lindley whiffed on a Crabtree tackle. It should have been a 2-yard gain but ended up going for 17. In the fourth, Lindley made a good tackle on Crabtree, stopping him for no gain. On the final interception, Bradley properly instructed Lindley to just go down, which he did. But he got up before the whistle blew and fumbled. Luckily, he recovered, or that could have been disastrous. He was mostly on the field in dime packages, but was the nickel back at the end of the game instead of Patterson.
Quintin Mikell- Good game for Mikell. He was active in run support, dropping Gore for a 1-yard gain in the first. Mikell also made a nice tackle on a 3-yard completion to Davis in the second. He recovered two fumbles and took one of them to the house for a touchdown. Mikell blitzed twice.
Nate Allen- Impressive performance from Allen. It started early when he dropped Gore for a 4-yard loss. He was the Eagles' most frequent blitzer as McDermott sent him after Smith eight times. He twice batted down passes, including one on the final drive that could have resulted in a big play to Gore had it been completed. Last year, I remember doing Man Ups and having nothing to say about the free safeties because they were invisible. This year, Allen is making plays on a weekly basis.
Kurt Coleman- Not much to say here, but he got in the game for the final three plays after Mikell was sidelined. On those plays, three of the five players in the Eagles' secondary were rookies.
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Here is the post on the defense in case you missed it yesterday.
And now onto the offense:
Michael Vick- He played 15 snaps before getting knocked out of the game. As has been the case since he entered the game against Green Bay, Vick made some spectacular plays that few, if any, QBs in the league are capable of making. Vick broke a Brian Orakpo tackle and picked up 13 yards on a designed run in the first. And I counted four broken tackles on the 23-yard run where he got injured. As a passer, he completed 5 of 7 passes for 49 yards. Vick had a chance to hit Brent Celek for a big gain on the second possession, which would have given the Eagles the ball inside the Redskins' 5 yard line, but either the throw was a bit off or it was tipped at the line of scrimmage.
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Before I get to the player-by-player notes on the defensive performance against the Redskins, there are a couple items worth mentioning.
The Redskins scored on their first three possessions and then were shut out the rest of the game. Some will look at that as a positive, but I don't really see it that way. It was clear from the outset that Washington felt it could be more physical than the Eagles.
The Redskins ran the ball on their first five plays and nine of their first 12. When Washington did throw the ball, it used screens and play-action. Consider that Donovan McNabb did not target a wide receiver until the 15th offensive play from scrimmage and did not complete a pass to a wide receiver until the 17th play.
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Here's the weekly player-by-player look at how the Eagles' offense performed Sunday against the Jaguars.
Michael Vick- I went over his performance in-depth in yesterday's post. A couple things to mention quickly though. His accuracy on deep balls has been tremendous. And Vick's TD run was very impressive. He broke a tackle behind the line of scrimmage and then darted for the end zone to score.
LeSean McCoy- He only had 11 carries, but averaged 4.9 yards per carry, totaling 54 yards. McCoy had a nice 13-yard run in the fourth where he broke a tackle, switched the ball to his outside hand and showed good awareness to stay in bounds. McCoy had some good moments as a blocker. On the 16-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin, the Eagles kept McCoy and Owen Schmitt in to block. Jaguars defenders, anticipating the running backs would be going out into pass routes, were stuck in no man's land. McCoy had a good blitz pickup against Sean Considine on the Vick TD run.
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Here's the player-by-player look at the Eagles' defensive performance in their 28-3 win over the Jaguars on Sunday:
Brandon Graham- It was really a great group effort along the defensive line. Many of the six sacks were the result of everyone doing their jobs. For example, Graham rushed untouched from the edge, forcing David Garrard to step up into the arms of Trevor Laws for a loss in the second. Graham got good pressure on Garrard in the third, forcing him to scramble. He hit Garrard as he released the ball when the Jaguars tried to block him with a tight end. Graham dropped back into coverage more than any other lineman and got his hand on a pass on a fourth down in the fourth. I'd have to go back and double-check, but I believe Graham played exclusively outside.
Mike Patterson- Sean McDermott rotated the linemen, and the Eagles were in nickel quite a bit, so Patterson played about half the defensive snaps (not counting the final garbage time drive). Patterson hustled to bring Maurice Jones-Drew down on the other side of the field after a 5-yard gain in the first. He also made a good tackle on a 4-yard Jones-Drew run and dropped MJD for no gain in the third.
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