What they're saying about the Eagles
Here's a roundup of what the national media are saying about the Eagles:
Jen Floyd Engel of FoxSports.com says the Birds looked scary good Sunday night:
This was about the Eagles proving themselves right, about the guys who stood up when they were 1-4 and said we are not done. This is about a team that went down and now is trying to pick itself back up. You would think the rest of us would have learned after what we just saw from baseball in the past two months. The World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals were a reminder on why you do not leave early, why you do not give up and how anything is possible.
SI.com's Peter King has the Eagles eighth in his power rankings:
I believe Arlen Specter will begin an investigation this morning into how on God's green earth the Eagles could ever have lost four games in a row.
King also named Howard Mudd his coach of the week:
On crutches on the sidelines after hip-replacement surgery 13 days earlier, Mudd did a pregame chest-bump with running back LeSean McCoy, then did what he does best. He got after his troops and coached them to open holes and keep Mike Vick clean. The Eagles, playing the best team in the league against the run coming into the game, rushed for 235 yards and gained 495 in a 34-7 rout of the Cowboys.
ESPN.com has the Eagles up to No. 16:
With adjustments on defense and an offense that can move the ball, the Eagles have won two straight and can finally get back to .500 with a win over Chicago at home on Monday night.
Gregg Easterbrook of ESPN.com takes a look at how the Eagles were able to dismantle the Cowboys:
Reid altered details of Philly's screen game -- the Eagles throw more screens than any other NFL team. He had a few surprises, such as showing a "quirk" -- four receivers on the same side. ("Trips" is short for triple, TMQ uses "quirk" as short for quadruple.) Often the Eagles' backfield lined up in the "ace" set that has taken over college football: quarterback in the shotgun flanked by a back or tight end on each side. Michael Vick would "sim" -- pretend to be starting the cadence -- and if he saw no likely blitz, signal the two backs to reset closer to the line of scrimmage. That subtlety alone seemed to take the Cowboys by surprise. Reid seemed to add a couple of "choice" routes, in which the tight end decides where to go based on how the defense lines up. Philadelphia was aided by the return of left tackle Jason Peters, one of the league's best blockers, at least when he is in the mood. And Vick, who's up-and-down as a pocket passer, not only threw accurately all night, his "checks" usually were right.
Brian Billick of FoxSports.com has the Eagles 15th in his power rankings:
Philly is beginning to look like the team we thought we would see this year. The Eagles remain explosive, but what has impressed me the most is the amount of 10-plus play drives they have manufactured the last two games against the Redskins and Cowboys. A dominant performance against a divisional foe is a key win for the Eagles. Having the Bears, Giants and Patriots this month will test their reclaiming of the "Dream Team" title.
ESPN.com has cross-sport athlete rankings, and LeSean McCoy came in at No. 10 this week:
Finally, the Eagles lived up to their dream team billing. And LeSean McCoy is a big reason why. The Eagles' running back ran for a career-best 185 yards with two scores in a dominating 34-7 Philly victory over Dallas. Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan could be seen pulling his long locks in frustration every time McCoy touched the ball. OK, not really, but he had to be thinking about it.
Adam Schein of FoxSports.com sees the Eagles as NFC East favorites:
The Eagles have the Bears and Cardinals at home the next two weeks. I predict the 3-4 Eagles and the 5-2 Giants will have the same record going into their Week 11 showdown at the Meadowlands. Philly got its confidence back. The rest of the division should be on notice.
Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com liked what he saw from the Eagles on Sunday night:
We're finally seeing elements of a Dream ... er ... whatever the hell you want to call them. All-Star, dreamy, teammy, yummy -- whatever. This Eagles group looks like it's about to make a run over the next month or so, despite a brutal schedule.
There is something else about this Philadelphia team and it's McCoy. He's always been good but this was his best game as a pro and it was against a Cowboys defense that was ranked first against the run.
Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com has the Eagles 18th in his power rankings:
Did they right things at the bye? It sure looked like it against the Cowboys. LeSean McCoy is having a great season.
Elliot Harrison of NFL.com has the Eagles 16th:
At what point do we stop talking about early season head-to-head losses as a determining factor between similar teams? Exhibit A: Philly's loss in Atlanta with Mike Kafka trying to pull an Elway. The 2011 season looked like it was slipping away a couple of weeks ago. The fat lady had Doritos in her mouth and just needed to finish chewing before singing. What a game plan by offensive coordinator Marty Morhinweg and performance by the offensive line. Complete domination of the Cowboys. Position coach Howard Mudd looks like the lovechild of Ernest Hemingway and Father Time under that Eagles beanie.
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