Eagles' O-line has been pleasant surprise
Four weeks into the season, the Eagles have several unanswered questions.
Eagles' O-line has been pleasant surprise
Sheil Kapadia, Philly.com
Four weeks into the season, the Eagles have several unanswered questions.
What will Jeremiah Trotter's role be? How will they utilize Michael Vick going forward? Will Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook get healthy?
But the one area that appeared to be a huge concern entering the season -- the offensive line -- has been one of the most encouraging story lines through the first three games.
The Eagles have allowed three sacks, and their ground game is averaging a respectable 4.4 yard per carry.
Here's a look position-by-position at what we've seen from each offensive line position so far, and what we might expect going forward:
Right tackle: For the previous nine seasons, this position belonged to Jon Runyan. After the Eagles signed Stacy Andrews in the offseason, it appeared he was poised to take over. Then we found out during minicamp that Shawn Andrews would get a shot. And now? Winston Justice looks like he'll be the guy the rest of the season, and perhaps beyond. He's penalty-free through three games and has allowed only one sack (in Week 1 on a play where Kevin Kolb probably held on to the ball too long). Justice was given quite a bit of help against the Panthers, but the coaches had him on his own more in Weeks 2 and 3. He might have been most impressive in the loss to the Saints. Justice has been stronger in pass protection but has also shown flashes in the run game.
Right guard: Stacy Andrews and Max Jean-Gilles have shared this position. It was Andrews in Week 1 and Jean-Gilles in Week 2. MJG saw the majority of snaps in Week 3, although Andrews was rotated in there. Jean-Gilles has had some very impressive moments in the run game. In pass protection, he was part of the great effort against the Chiefs but had a couple lapses in the second half against New Orleans. He has not been called for a penalty. Andrews did not look as good as his fellow linemen in Week 1 and was replaced after explaining that he was still working on his technique with offensive line coach Juan Castillo. He's been whistled for two penalties. It's hard to imagine that the Eagles would continue to bench Andrews after signing him to a $40 million contract in the offseason. But then again, if anything, they've shown that they're going to go with the players that give them the best chance to win this season. Jean-Gilles has certainly played well enough to start.
Center: The one position on the line that's been drama-free since mini-camp. Jamaal Jackson was great in the Eagles' Week 1 win over the Panthers. A couple things to watch going forward. One, his job is to be the communicator. With a lot of moving parts, this is especially important. The Birds have had a few lapses in the interior on pass plays. Part of Jackson's job will be to keep everyone on the same page. The other area I'll be keeping an eye on is how Jackson blocks when he gets to the next level, particularly on screens, but also in the Wildcat. Jackson has not been called for a penalty this season.
Left guard: This was initially supposed to be Todd Herremans' job, but Nick Cole has filled in nicely. The Inquirer's Bob Brookover updated Herremans' health in today's paper. He said he's targeting the Oct. 26 game against the Redskins for a return. That would mean two more games with Cole at left guard. Cole has not been as consistent as some of the other linemen, but he's had some real bright spots in the run game. He's been whistled for two penalties on the season.
Left tackle: Since being whistled for two false starts early against the Panthers, it's been smooth sailing for Jason Peters. He was close to perfect last week against the Chiefs and was also good against the Saints, except for a late lapse that resulted in a sack. It will be interesting to see how much the Eagles run the Wildcat to the left side to take advantage of Peters' athleticism, which was on display in Week 1 against the Panthers.
Thank you for NOT including how Vick, McNabb and Kolb will react to their roles wrt to each other and the Wildcat as unanswered questions. Assuming continued improvement in health, this O-line could be very good by the end of the season. I look for Vick to have some big runs out of the Wildcat. If the defense can stop the run, the Eagles will be a tough team to play. We will find out about the run D starting in week 7 with the Redskins, Giants and then Cowboys- O-line has looked good. Way to much dead money in Andrews/Andrews though. We need to see more of what Stacy can do when he's all the way back from injury.— dragoon6
- Amazing, all the panic about the O-line and now they are getting praised after only 3 games. People always seem to focus on the loss of certain players who won't be in the game, but it's not like those positions are being left vacant. The guys on the bench can play too, they just need a chance. The Eagles have been at the top of the league for awhile as far as developing replacement players and depth on the bench. By the way, Cole will probably start a lot more than 2 games. Once Herremans comes back, Cole will likely slide over to RG.— JimG
- KUTGW, Sheil. All NFL offensive success starts with line play, and if you had told me in preseason that Justice, Cole and Jean-Gilles would be taking most of the snaps through the first four weeks, I would have predicted a winless start. Kudos to them and to Juan Castillo, who is continuing the Eagles' tradition of having standout position coaches.— paolibulldog
- Still worried about the D. Not sure how much Trot's got left but I believe they're still weak up the middle without Bradley. I also think they don't get enough push from the tackles.— Phillyexp
- "The Eagles have allowed there sacks, and their ground game is averaging a respectable 4.4 yard per carry." THEIR, THERE AND THEY'RE... STILL CONFUSING TO THE UNEDUCATED WRITERS AND EDITORS I SEE...— phillyinATL
- Did the O-Line allow "there" sacks or "three" sacks?— Bobphxville
- Whenever I actually want to learn something about this team, I turn to Sheil's MTC blog. The NFL would be wise to hire Sheil and do the same thing that MLB did with Todd Z. Keep it up, Sheil!— Fozzie27
- This is a great point. I thought the line was going to get killed, so this is a pleasant surprise. They'll get a major test when we play the Giants, but this is about as good as I could have hoped for going into the season.— FKD215
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
- AR used a lot of high draft picks for these guys and we should not be surprised that they can play. Max, Winston and Nick are solid football players and when given the chance have proven it. I hope when the others are ready to return they are made to earn the starting spot and not have it given to them because of there salary.— craig123
- Comment removed.
- Wouldn't it be something if Winston Justice made the Pro Bowl?— jimmyeagles
- I'd say it differently. The Eagles O-line has been decent, considering all the injuries. It is not good enough to win a Super Bowl, and it doesn't look like the additions of Herremans and Andrews later this fall will get them there either. Next year, if everyone's healthy, maybe then. There is definitely potential.— tacklinjoe
Follow
Sheil on Twitter. And become
a fan of Moving the Chains on Facebook.
Download our NEW iPhone/Android app for even more Birds
coverage, including app-exclusive videos and analysis. Download it here.
