Three things to watch Tuesday
It's the Eagles' last day at Lehigh before heading to Philadelphia to resume training camp on Thursday. So here's what to watch for at the team's final 2012 practice in the Lehigh Valley.
Three things to watch Tuesday
Monday was a day when defensive secondary anchor Nnamdi Asomugha collided in mid-air with Nate Allen and remained face down on the field for two minutes before being carted off. He appears to be okay, though he's being evaluated for a concussion as a precaution.
It was a day when Michael Vick celebrated his three-year anniversary as an Eagle: "It's been a great ride," Vick said.
So what's ahead for tomorrow? The Eagles would probably like a little less drama.
It's the Eagles' last day at Lehigh before heading to Philadelphia to resume training camp on Thursday. So here's what to watch for at the team's final 2012 practice in the Lehigh Valley.
Undisciplined or over-eager?
After the morning walk-through, Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg talked out how the offense disappointed him in its preseason game against Pittsburgh.
And then the whole team went out in the afternoon and showed why he should be concerned.
Talking about Vick and the first-team offense, Mornhinweg said, "One of the things I was disappointed in was our precision. You saw the plays that were called were precision plays, and although we didn't have many opportunities, several times it wasn't there."
It's not there in training camp drills and scrimmages either, for the offense or the defense.
Two of the first four plays in 9-on-7 running-play drills were penalties and coach Andy Reid let the players know he wasn't happy with their effort.
The sloppiness continued during the live scrimmage with defensive linemen jumping offsides, O.J. Atogwe pass-interfering in coverage, and the offensive line drawing penalties as well.
Are all the miscues a case of players being over-eager to show what they can do, or more indicative of a team needing greater precision and discipline?
Back, back, back....
One of the few open competitions in camp involves the fullback/fourth tailback situation.
Will the Eagles keep a fullback just to keep a fullback, or will they go with the better talent and keep fourth tailback Chris Polk, who has proven he's an NFL-caliber player?
Once again during a live scrimmage, Polk took a handoff, burst through the defense, and showed why he's too valuable to cut.
He and third-string back Bryce Brown both lined up in two-back sets during live scrimmages, perhaps revealing the coaches would rather have the best players rather than players who fill certain positions.
"You never know what the coaches are thinking, so we're just trying to do whatever it takes," Polk said. "Whether it's playing fullback, long snapper, whatever."
Brown agreed. "For me, it's simple: Anything they ask me to do, I'm going to do it, and do it to the best of my ability."
All caught up
Tight end Brent Celek made a nice adjustment on a Vick pass during a Monday scrimmage that showed why he's such a valuable outlet for Vick.
Celek returned to practice Saturday from a mild MCL sprain in his right knee and looked impressive Monday.
Assuming he stays healthy, Celek could move into second place all-time among Eagles tight ends in receiving yards, touchdowns, and receptions this season. Legendary Eagles end Pete Retzlaff tops all three categories but Celek won't get near him this year.
Celek needs 45 yards to pass John Spagnola and move into second place in receiving yards. He needs five touchdown catches to pass Chad Lewis in touchdowns, and 34 receptions to pass Spagnola in career receptions.
The marks seem within reach considering Celek finished with 62 catches for 811 yards and five touchdowns last season. Retzlaff finished his Eagles career with 452 receptions for 7,412 yards and 47 touchdowns.
This is nothing new. The offense wasnt precise last year. Personally, I dont think that Vick is the long term solution that some others in town think he is. Too many turnovers and he really hasnt shown us the dominant nature of his game since his first 6 games with the birds. It seems that d Coordinators may have figured him out.
There are some great discussions going on at Fanland.com about Vick and his limitations.— craigsmith33
Comment removed.- Michael Vick is 32, he is what he is, occasionally explosive but too undisciplined and inconsistent to be a SB QB.— JBP
- I want Mike Vick to win very badly becasue he is our quareterback, however, I would probably take a dozen or more quarterbacks before him to lead the birds.— Dr. D.
- I like that Marty was honest and didn't try to sugarcoat the offensive performance, unlike the defensive coordinator who said the defense wasn't all that bad.— watsonmr
- Is it possible Mike Vick who I am a super fan of doesn't have the intelligence to dominate the mental aspect of the game. I hope not, but I am worried. I seeing 9-7 here— Aussie Fan
- The clock is ticking on the start of the Fole era— ChrisE
- Here is the simple truth. Vick is being over coached. He is an instinctive player. The coaches just need to back off a little and let Mike Vick be Mike Vick and then this team will have a chance.— WakeUpCall
- MV7 hoping you can get it done this year.— dmanphilly
- Kind of agree w/WakeUpCall.....Although coaching V7 up into more of a pocket type passer is designed to engender greater consistency in his (and by extension the offense's) performance it appears to have made him second himself a little bit. His mobility puts unforeseen pressure on the defense which forces breakdowns which often turn into BIG PLAYS. And while it's tough to predict when those big plays will result on scrambles, they will definitely happen...Perhaps even MORE consistently. Moreover, it seems to me he's been more prone to injuries occurring when he camps in the pocket.— TenaciousE
