IS LEARNING THE PRINCETON OFFENSE
Update: Our friend Dave Staley of sportsbook.com informs us that the Eagles-Redskins line has moved to Birds (minus-8). When we spoke to Dave last week, it was Eagles (minus-7). But a lot of money seems to be coming in on the Birds. Currently, 88 percent of the action on sportsbook.com is on the Eagles to cover.
Some links to pass along as we wait for Monday night:
** Danny Amendola had five catches for 39 yards Sunday in the Rams' loss against the Colts. He has 13 catches in the past three weeks. Too bad the Eagles couldn't keep Amendola, who spent training camp here and was signed to the practice squad. He'd provide some nice depth, given the way their receiver situation has unfolded.
** Did you notice which ex-Eagle helped lift the Cardinals over the Giants yesterday? How about former third-round pick Matt Ware. He knocked the ball out of Ahmad Bradshaw's grasp when the Giants were driving in the fourth quarter. Ware was best known here for his 65-yard game-winning touchdown return on a blocked field goal against the Chargers back in 2005.
** More ammo for those of you in the "Just run the damn ball, Andy!" corner. The Jets ran it 54 times for 316 yards in their 38-0 win over the Raiders yesterday. They threw it just 15 times. A week before, the Eagles threw it 46 times and ran it 14 (including two by Donovan McNabb).
** Hank Baskett had his first catch with the Colts, a 5-yarder against St. Louis.
** Could A.J. Feeley's chance be coming in Carolina? Jake Delhomme was intercepted three times in the Panthers' loss to the Bills Sunday. Per the Charlotte Observer, coach John Fox would not commit to Delhomme for the first time all season.
"Like all positions, we'll evaluate it and whatever changes we need to make, we'll make," he said.
** SI.com's Peter King has the Eagles 14th in his Fine Fifteen, but he does have the Eagles winning tonight:
You know, maybe Michael Vick is just a lousy option quarterback. Maybe. But I still think the Eagles have to find a way to make Vick more of a factor, perhaps starting tonight against Washington. It's on Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg.
** The Cowboys might have themselves a wide receiver. Miles Austin has 421 yards in his last two games.
** We wrote about the Giants' loss to the Cardinals after the game yesterday. I also DVR'd the game and hope to watch it and provide notes before Sunday.
** Yesterday, we took a glance at national opinion on tonight's game. And a reminder that we'll be live chatting at 8:15.
** And finally, my pick. The Eagles' offensive line concerns me. A brutal performance last week, and now they've got a couple guys banged up (Jason Peters and Nick Cole) and are counting on Todd Herremans to have success right away. Plus you've got a new middle linebacker on defense, which could be a good thing, but I'm not sure he'll be able to have an impact instantly. I think the Birds win ugly, and the Redskins cover the 7-point spread. Let's say Eagles 17, Redskins 13.
The Giants will come to Philadelphia next week on a two-game losing streak.
New York did not look good Sunday night, falling to the Cardinals, 24-17, at the Meadowlands.
The Giants turned it over four times, including three Eli Manning interceptions. After a hot start, Manning has completed less than 49 percent of his passes with two TDs and four interceptions in the last two weeks.
Down a touchdown, the Giants were driving with just over a minute left in the game when Manning was picked off by Antrel Rolle at the Cardinals' 21-yard line.
Earlier in the quarter, running back Ahmad Bradshaw fumbled in Arizona territory.
Overall, it was a sloppy performance for the Giants, who were also whistled for seven penalties.
Combine New York's loss with the Cowboys' win over the Falcons, and the landscape in the NFC East has changed. The Giants are still atop the division at 5-2, but Dallas is right behind them (4-2). With a win Monday against the Redskins, the Eagles would be tied with the Cowboys.
And so we're approaching that time of year when things start to get fun. Starting in Washington, the Birds begin a stretch of three straight against NFC East opponents.
Meanwhile, things do not get any easier for the Giants. Check out this stretch: at the Eagles, Chargers, Falcons, at the Broncos, Cowboys, Eagles.
But first things first. We'll be live chatting Monday night's Eagles-Redskins game. And in case you missed it, we did our weekly feature looking at who's picking the Eagles earlier this evening.
Join me for a live chat during Monday night's Eagles-Redskins game. We'll have updates and instant commentary on the action.
Our weekly look at who's picking the Eagles, along with some other links sprinkled in:
SI.com's Peter King goes with the Eagles, 23-10:
It's almost like the Redskins don't want to win. Who gives a guy in the building three weeks the keys to the offense?
SI.com's Don Banks has the Eagles ninth in his power rankings:
How many tens of thousands of words and pictures have been spent chronicling Michael Vick's two-month tenure in Philadelphia? And how much actual on-field impact has all that breathless coverage translated into for the Eagles? I believe the appropriate term would be much ado about nothing.
Accuscore has the Eagles winning, 22.3 to 17.
FoxSports.com's Peter Schrager goes with the Redskins, 20-16:
The last time the Eagles traveled to Washington, Redskins corner Fred Smoot and safety LaRon Landry combined to tackle Eagles wideout Reggie Brown at the 1-yard line as time expired to secure a 10-3 Washington win. Jason Campbell was given a much-needed vote of confidence earlier this week, and I think he somehow, some way, delivers under the Monday night lights.
All eight ESPN experts go with the Birds.
ESPN has the Eagles 12th in its power rankings.
Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com gives the Eagles a 24-14 win:
Can the Redskins get it together? Does taking calling plays away from Jim Zorn matter? Can Jason Campbell get it going? The answer to the first two questions is no. The answer to the third is if they let him. But the Eagles will be focused in a big way here after their bad road loss at Oakland. I don't like teams playing consecutive road games, but I buck that trend here.
Prisco has the Eagles 10th in his power rankings.
SI.com's King has the Eagles tied for 14th in his rankings:
Anyone wondering if just maybe Kevin Kolb would have played a better game in Oakland than Donovan McNabb?
ESPN's Bill Simmons has the Eagles covering the 7-point spread.
Matt Bowen of the National Football Post has the Eagles, 22-12:
Two teams who have had rough weeks, but it is hard for me to go with the Redskins at home when they have so many issues on offense and on the sidelines. I expect Greg Blache's defense to keep the 'Skins in the game, but a lack of big plays by this Washington offense will allow McNabb and Philly to push this lead out of reach in the fourth quarter—and Zorn will take the blame again on Tuesday morning.
Last week: 8-6
Overall: 46-42
Giants at Cardinals
Not to look past the 'Skins, but what a day we have on tap next week. At 1 p.m., it'll be Eagles-Giants from the Linc, by far the Birds' biggest game of the season. And then at night, Game 4 of the World Series (Phillies-Yankees?) from Citizens Bank Park. Wow. A chance to be one of the most glorious days in this city's sports history, or one of the most disastrous. As for this one, I think the G-Men bounce back. It'll be close, but they'll cover in the fourth quarter.
The pick: Giants (-7)
Jets at Raiders
Usually, I really enjoy re-watching the Eagles game for Man Up. Last week? Not so much. Brutal game. But the most entertaining part had to be watching Tom Cable on the sidelines. He is kind of half pro wrestler and half NFL coach. When he disagreed with a call, and the camera focused on him, I couldn't look away. You just didn't know what he was going to do next. Has anyone made the argument that last week was the best week for the Oakland franchise since its Super Bowl year? A win over the Birds, and Cable was exonerated for allegedly punching an assistant coach. Things are looking up, Raiders fans.
The pick: Jets (-6)
Saints at Dolphins
Time for MC's Pick of the Week. He's on a nice little run and at 4-2 on the season after another win in Week 6. The take here:
No one has come within two touchdowns of the Saints all year, and I don’t see Chad Henne and the Dolphins breaking that trend.
The pick: Saints (-6.5)
Packers at Browns
As if things weren't going bad enough for the Browns, two players were diagnosed with the Swine Flu this week. Unbelievable. I know there are three winless teams still remaining, but don't sleep on the Browns as one of the prime candidates for the 2010 No. 1 pick. They've scored six points or fewer in half their games this season. Let that sink in.
The pick: Packers (-9)
Falcons at Cowboys
I'll be honest. This has nothing to do with the Dallas-Atlanta game, but I had to share an e-mail from my buddy C-Nast about the Phillies' celebration after beating the Dodgers:
I was cracking up watching Pedro celebrate in the clubhouse. It's like he's crashing someone's party, but then everyone is like, "Whoa who invited Pedro Martinez!"
So true. I was dying as well. Pedro running around with two bottles of champagne at every corner, always with a suspicious look on his face. By far the most entertaining part of the celebration. A couple other notes on the locker room antics:
** Is it just me, or is Brett Myers the first one to the beer after every clincher?
** Is there anything more awkward than players pouring champagne on reporters/TV personalities? I say no. Gets me every time.
Guess we should pick the game now, huh?
The pick: Falcons (+4.5)
Patriots at Bucs
This one will kick off from London. What's the NFL's next step for plans across the pond? A franchise in London? More regular-season games played there? The Super Bowl? We'll have to see where this one goes. If the Eagles were to play a game there, would you plan a trip around it? I'll admit -- it'd be interesting to see the Birds' faithful interact with the London locals. I think I would have to convince the Philly.com higher-ups to send me over there if that went down.
The pick: Bucs (+15)
And the rest of the picks:
CHARGERS (-5.5) at Chiefs
COLTS (-14) at Rams
VIKINGS (+6) at Steelers
49ERS (+3) at Texans
BILLS (+7) at Panthers
BEARS (pick 'em) at Bengals
Note: We'll pick Eagles-Redskins on Monday.
Time for our weekly visit from Dave Staley of sportsbook.com.
Q: What's your take on the spread for Eagles-Redskins this week?
A: Currently, the Eagles are minus-7 for Monday night’s game at Washington. The line originally opened at minus-6.5 but moved to minus-7 on Monday morning. Despite the line change, 95 percent of the early money so far is on the Eagles. If the action stays this one-sided over the next couple of days, we could see it go to minus-7.5. If you plan on backing the Birds this week, get on it early as the difference between minus-7 and minus-7.5 is pretty significant. On the flip side, if you are one of the few that like the 'Skins, you might as well wait; maybe you’ll get an extra 1/2 point.
It is a little surprising that so many folks are backing the Eagles coming off their dreadful loss to the Raiders last week. Recent results often stick to the minds of the betting public; obviously, that's not the case here though. Then again, I think the Eagles just didn’t take the Raiders seriously and were looking ahead to facing their three NFC opponents over the next few weeks.
Maybe this has to do with the fact that Andy Reid teams often bounce back from disappointing losses. Case in point -- last year’s 48-20 drubbing of the Cardinals just a week after getting embarrassed by the Ravens.
Although, it probably has a lot more to do with the fact that Washington is abysmal. They do have two victories, but those wins came against two of the NFL’s winless teams, the Rams and the Bucs.
Despite having four losses, the Redskins do have a very good defense that can keep them in the game. Only one opponent scored over 20 points on them, and their opponents are averaging just 16 points per game. Then again, their schedule has been ridiculously soft. Besides the Giants, their other five opponents have a combined win total of four games.
Another point: bettors often notice when a team hasn’t been able to cover. Considering Washington is just 1-5 against the spread, it is no wonder so many people are on the Eagles.
Q: And what about the over/under?
A: The total is currently at 37.5 points after opening at 38.5.
This number seems pretty sharp to me although the bettors don’t agree as 89 percent of the early action is on the over.
As mentioned, the 'Skins have been very competitive on the defensive side of the ball. They rank fifth in yards per game (287) and fifth in points allowed (16.0 per game). Again, we'll see how valid are these numbers are, considering their competition. It isn’t surprising that they covered the under in five of their six games.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Redskins average just 13.2 points per game and have a season-high of 17.
Besides last week’s 9-point performance, the Eagles have shown they have the firepower to cover the total by themselves.
This number might just creep back up to where it started, so if you like the ‘over’ get on it now.
Q: What have this year's Monday night games been like from a gambling perspective?
A: Like most Monday night games, this will probably be one of our most important games of the week. Not only because of the one-sided action but also because of the action Monday night games take in.
The Monday night game is usually the biggest game of the week from a betting standpoint for a few reasons:
1. Obviously it’s the bettors’ last chance to bet on the NFL for six days.
2. It’s a stand-alone game which is in the living rooms of every potential bettor.
3. For those bettors that won during the weekend, they want to keep their streak going.
4. For those bettors that didn’t fare so well, they want to get back some of their losses.
From a sportsbook.com stand point, we’ve done well on spread bettors on Monday night as five out of the seven 'dogs have covered. However, we’ve done horribly on the total. The over covered six out of seven times, which is usually a profitable trend for the betting public. I anticipate this action will remain very one-sided so it should be another nail-biter for the boss.
With today's news that linebacker Omar Gaither is likely done for the season, let's take a look at the Eagles' linebacker situation and where the team goes from here.
The Birds currently have seven linebackers on their roster: Will Witherspoon, Chris Gocong, Akeem Jordan, Moise Fokou, Joe Mays, Jeremiah Trotter and Tracy White.
Here are some thoughts on how these guys' roles will play out:
** The starters seem set: Witherspoon in the middle, and Gocong and Jordan on the outside. They really don't have another choice in the middle. Trotter cannot be the guy, and they obviously do not have any confidence in Mays. We'll just have to see what kind of player Witherspoon can be in this system.
** Jordan has had a solid season. Gocong had easily his most active game of the season against the Raiders, piling up 10 tackles after being credited with just 11 in the team's first four games. He had a sack the previous week against Tampa, although it came on a blitz where he was untouched.
** It will be interesting to see what the Eagles do in the nickel package. It seems safe to assume that Witherspoon will take Gaither's role and be on the field. But what about the other position? Going into the season, Jordan was the guy. But we have seen White replace him at times. Do they just go with one linebacker? As I pointed out yesterday, we saw them go with three safeties -- Quintin Mikell, Macho Harris and Sean Jones -- on one play Sunday. Jones was matched up with the tight end in coverage. He has also been used as a blitzer the last two games. Maybe Jones is a solution there.
** I'm not sure what Trotter's role will be going forward. If they believe he's just knocking off the rust and can contribute, it's worth keeping him around because, quite frankly, they don't have many other options. But he really hasn't shown anything in the first two games. Perhaps we'll see more of a role for him the next two weeks against Clinton Portis and Brandon Jacobs. It seems obvious that teams will try to take advantage of matchups and force him Trotter into coverage when he's on the field.
** The only guy I haven't mentioned is Fokou, who figures to have no more than a special teams role.
** The play of the linebackers is going to go a long way in determining this team's success. Check out the tight ends on the schedule the next seven weeks: Chris Cooley (twice), Jason Witten, Antonio Gates, Greg Olsen and Tony Gonzalez. The Giants' Kevin Boss is no slouch either.
Yesterday, we did the offense.
Today it's the 'D.'
Our player-by-player evaluations of every player:
Victor Abiamiri – He didn't have an especially strong game. For the second straight week, Abiamiri was flagged for a personal foul roughing the passer penalty. This one was offsetting, and for some reason, in several box scores online, labeled on Trevor Laws. He made a nice play against the run on a 2-yard Justin Fargas carry in the second and also dropped Fargas for a loss later in the quarter. The Raiders definitely took a page out of the Saints' playbook and targeted several of their runs at him. Expect teams to test his ability against the run in the coming weeks.
Juqua Parker – He had what looked like it would be a big sack on third down at the start of the fourth quarter, but the Eagles' offense was unable to build on the momentum. The Raiders had a good game plan, throwing to their tight ends and running backs, thus negating the Eagles' blitzes and pressure. Of JaMarcus Russell's 17 completions, 15 went to tight ends and backs.
Chris Clemons – I only wrote his name down once when he got good pressure on Russell on a third down in the first quarter.
Mike Patterson - Not a lot to say about him. Patterson didn't really stand out one way or another. He had five tackles overall.
Trevor Laws - After being inactive a week ago, the second-year DT saw the field quite a bit Sunday, but he was not particularly effective. The Raiders created holes on a couple run plays by pushing Laws out of the way.
Antonio Dixon – As has been the norm, Dixon was part of the defensive tackle rotation. He did a nice job disrupting a Fargas run in the third quarter, stopping him for no gain.
Broderick Bunkley – He disrupted a Michael Bush run in the first quarter that went for just 1 yard. The the run defense had some lapses, but overall limited Oakland to 3.3 yards per carry.
Trent Cole – I was surprised to look at the stat sheet and see him credited with just two tackles. It seemed like Cole was much more active than that. He had a couple plays where he caused chaos in the backfield, allowing his teammates to make plays. He dropped Fargas for a loss in the fourth. But on one run play in the second quarter, he got sealed off, allowing Fargas to pick up 10 yards. As a pass rusher, he picked up a sack in the first and now has one in every game this season. . Cole also knocked Russell down in the third quarter to force an incompletion.
Darren Howard - For the first time all year, we didn't hear from him. One tackle and no pressure on the quarterback.
Chris Gocong – One of the few bright spots, he led the Eagles with 10 tackles and was near the ball-carrier all day. Gocong dropped Gary Russell for no gain on a short pass on the game’s first play. Later in the game, he had a chance to drop JaMarcus Russell short of a first down but missed a tackle, allowing the Raiders to move the chains (pun intended).
Akeem Jordan – This also might have been his quietest game of the season (notice a theme here?). Jordan came on a blitz in the first quarter and applied good pressure, which led to the Cole sack. He also stuffed Fargas on a run in the fourth quarter. Three tackles overall.
Jeremiah Trotter – We knew it would get ugly if Trotter had to be relied on in coverage. He was burned on the 86-yard touchdown to Zach Miller in the first quarter. Trotter was also in the game during the Raiders' final drive and was on coverage as the fullback Russell went past him for 13 yards. Didn't see a single play where Trotter caused something positive to happen. Just one tackle overall.
Omar Gaither – An OK performance from Gaither, who finished with seven tackles. He missed one on a dumpoff to Russell in the fourth. Given the moves the Eagles have made at linebacker, it's clear they don't think Gaither can be the man.
Asante Samuel – I Tweeted during the game that by my unofficial count, he had missed 17 tackles. I thought the number was high enough that people would realize I was exaggerating, but some thought I was serious. I actually did count the second time around and saw six instances where Samuel had a legitimate shot to bring down a Raiders player and didn't get it done. One was on the Miller TD pass in the first. Samuel was also baited into a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty by a rookie, wide receiver Louis Murphy. Sean McDermott removed him from the game for the next play. Samuel did have an interception in the first half.
Sheldon Brown – A quiet day for Brown as the Raiders rarely completed passes to their wide receivers (just two on the day). He nearly came up with an INT in the fourth quarter, but couldn’t hang on.
Quintin Mikell – Rough day for Mikell, who was taken out by Murphy on the Miller TD pass. He was also on the receiving end of a big hit by Fargas during a 14-yard run in third and missed tackle on a dumpoff to Russell in the fourth. Mikell did have an interception in the second quarter.
Joselio Hanson – Same deal as with Brown. Not a lot of action to the wide receiers. He did make a good tackle on Todd Watkins to prevent a first down on 3rd-and-6 in the first quarter. Hanson missed tackle on Michael Bush in the third.
Macho Harris – He made some nice plays supporting the run, but looked lost on others. In coverage, he was beat on a 21-yard pass to Miller in the second quarter. Harris had trouble with Kellen Winslow last week. He did a good job in the second to blow up a Raiders run on 2nd-and-1. And also sniffed out an end around, dropping Derrius Heyward-Bey.
Sean Jones – He saw the field more for the second week in a row. At first he was primarily used as a blitzer, but interesting play in the fourth quarter. The Eagles used six DBs (three safeties), four linemen and one LB on a 3rd-and-10. Jones was lined up in coverage against Miller and did a good job breaking up the pass.
Time for our weekly player-by-player look at the Eagles' offense. We'll do the 'D' tomorrow.
Brian Westbrook – He was one of the only bright spots for the Birds on Sunday. Westbrook was Donovan McNabb's safety valve for much of the day, catching nine passes for 91 yards. He added 50 yards on six carries. Westbrook showed some burst on a 22-yard screen in the first quarter, and 18- and 34-yard gains in the second. He put together back-to-back runs of 25 and 9 in the third.
LeSean McCoy – Every week on Man Up, I say he needs to protect the ball better. McCoy fumbled in the first quarter, but the Raiders recovered. He did a nice job cutting down a blitzing linebacker in first quarter on an 8-yard pass to Brent Celek. It looked like he misread his blocking assignment on third down in the second quarter as Raiders linebacker Thomas Howard came untouched off the blind side to nail McNabb. McCoy had five carries for 13 yards, the highlight being a nice cutback run for a gain of 8 in the second.
Leonard Weaver – Quiet day from Weaver. He completely whiffed on a block in the second quarter, forcing McCoy to cut back. He had two catches for 3 yards.
Donovan McNabb – After re-watching the game, he wasn't as bad as I initially thought. McNabb made a good, but not great, throw to DeSean Jackson for a 51-yard gain in the first quarter. Had he hit Jackson in stride and not forced him to dive, it would have been a touchdown. McNabb showed good strength avoiding a sack and dumping it off to Westbrook for 34 yards on a third down in the second quarter. It's extremely troublesome that he didn’t know the situation and called timeout with 27 seconds left in the half even though the Eagles had none left. In the second half, he had two chances for big plays to Jeremy Maclin but could not fit the ball into the small window between the cornerback and safety. McNabb also threw at Weaver’s feet in the fourth. His best throws was a 42-yarder to Celek over the middle.
Michael Vick – He barely got in the book. Vick lost 4 yards on a handoff in first quarter. He didn’t really have a chance on the play as Howard was all over him as soon as he got the ball. As I mentioned Sunday, this would have seemed like the right time to get Vick more involved since the regular offense was struggling. If the coaches felt he could provide a spark, that is.
Winston Justice – He was easily the Eagles' best offensive lineman Sunday. Justice was solid in pass protection throughout. When watching the game live, it may have looked like he gave up a sack in the fourth quarter, but it was Justice against two blitzing linebackers. He had no chance. Bad play call and play design to run a slow-developing play-action pass on 3rd-and 7 with the way the Raiders had been pressuring McNabb. Justice did a bad job on a run play to McCoy to the outside in the third quarter.
Max Jean-Gilles – Easily his worst performance of the year. Jean-Gilles probably struggled as much as any starting Eagles offensive lineman all year. He was confused by a Raiders stunt where Trevor Scott came back inside from the DE position to sack McNabb in the first quarter. Jean-Gilles was beat badly by Tommy Kelly in pass protection in the first. He had a rough time with Kelly on a loss for Westbrook in the first and struggled on a run play to the outside to McCoy in the fourth. The bright spots were blocks on a 9-yard Westbrook run in third quarter and a 22-yard Westbrook screen in the first.
Stacy Andrews – He replaced Jean-Gilles for a drive in the first quarter after MJG gave up a sack. But what does it say that he didn't get on the field a lot despite Jean-Gilles' struggles? Did the off the field news of last week play a factor in the coaches' decision? Andrews did a poor job as a run blocker on 2-yard gain by Westbrook.
Jamaal Jackson – Jackson struggled quite a bit as well. He did a poor job in run blocking during a 3-yard McCoy carry in the first, getting beat by linebacker Kirk Morrison. Jackson was overpowered by DT Gerard Warren during a first quarter passing play, which would have been a sack had McNabb not been able to shovel the ball to Westbrook. He did give a nice effort on Westbrook’s 22-yard screen in first quarter.
Nick Cole – He was schooled by Richard Seymour on a near-sack in the second quarter. Cole gave up a sack to Seymour at the end of the first half. Not one of his better performances although he did do a nice job on a 9-yard Westbrook run in third quarter.
Jason Peters - Not much to say. He got injured early. It sounds like he'll be OK, which is good news. Peters was solid through the first four games.
King Dunlap - Seymour went right through him to sack McNabb in the second quarter. It was clear in the second half that the coaching staff decided it had to give him a ton of help. Brent Celek lined up next to him at times, running backs chipped, and Justice even moved over to his outside on one play. When the Eagles had to leave Dunlap alone on the final drive, he was completely overmatched by Seymour and company.
Brent Celek – He lined up as a blocker against defensive lineman Trevor Scott during the first drive and did not do a goodjob, allowing the sack. Although you have to wonder if that's a fair position to put Celek in. We saw him do a good job a week ago blocking defensive linemen one on one. Celek did do his part in protection, picking up Tommy Kelly during a 51-yard bomb to DeSean Jackson. On the receiving end, he had four catches for 75 yards, including a 42-yard gain in the fourth where he beat a Raiders linebacker. Celek did drop a pass in the second quarter.
Alex Smith – McNabb looked to him in the flat, but he dropped the pass in the first quarter. Smith gave a nice effort on a block during McCoy’s 8-yard run in the first half.
DeSean Jackson – He made a great catch on the 51-yard reception in the first quarter. He also did a good job on a low throw in the second to pick up 11. With time winding down in the first half, Jackson was able to keep his feet in bounds for a first down. And during the Eagles’ last drive, Jackson did a great job to get a first down and get out of bounds for a 12-yard gain. Overall, six catches for 94 yards.
Jeremy Maclin – He had just one catch for 6 yards after a monster game last week against the Bucs. Maclin had a couple chances for big plays, but McNabb couldn't squeeze the ball into a tight window.
I re-watched every Eagles' offensive snap this evening, and man, was that an embarrassing performance.
We'll post Man Up Tuesday morning, but I wanted to get the weekly penalty count out of the way tonight.
The Eagles had four penalties for 38 yards: Asante Samuel for a 13-yard unnecessary roughness; Donovan McNabb 5 yards for delay of game (where he inexplicably thought the Eagles had a timeout left); illegal contact on the defense for 5 yards; and Darren Howard 15 yards for unnecessary roughness.
A Trevor Laws roughing the passer penalty was offsetting and therefore not included.
For the game, three penalties for 33 yards on defense, plua one for 5 yards on the offense.
And perhaps the only bright spot in the game, no special teams penalties (yes, we believe in miracles here at MTC).
Here's the breakdown on the season:
Number of penalties
DeSean Jackson - 3
Stacy Andrews - 3
Jason Peters - 2
Nick Cole - 2
Sean Jones - 2
Asante Samuel – 2
Darren Howard - 2
Juqua Parker - 1
Quintin Demps - 1
Chris Clemons - 1
Joselio Hanson - 1
Leonard Weaver – 1
Jason Avant – 1
Tracy White – 1
Macho Harris – 1
Trent Cole - 1
Moise Fokou - 1
Eldra Buckley – 1
Dimitri Patterson - 1
Chris Gocong – 1
Victor Abiamiri - 1
Donovan McNabb - 1
Note: The Eagles' defense was called for an offsides in Week 1 (officially 6 yards), but it was not attributed to any one player. The 'D' was also called for a 5-yard illegal contact penalty in Week 6. Penalties that were declined were not included in the breakdown.
Penalty yards
D. Jackson – 30
Samuel - 28
Gocong - 24
Parker - 15
Demps – 15
Avant - 15
Harris – 15
Andrews – 15
Jones - 15
Howard - 15
Abiamiri -12
Clemons - 11
Peters - 10
Fokou - 10
Cole - 10
White - 6
Hanson - 5
Howard – 5
D. Patterson - 5
Buckley – 5
T. Cole - 5
McNabb 5
Weaver - 3
By unit
Offense – 11 for 70
Defense – 12 for 135
Special teams – 10 for 85
