Last Year:
To say that the Philadelphia Eagles? previous season was a full-blown spiritual odyssey like Jet Li?s newest movie ?Hero? may bend the truth, but at the very least Philly can boast about a hero of their own ? Donovan McNabb. While Li proclaims his new movie has surpassed Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon?s accomplishments in China, the Philadelphia Eagles were unable to eclipse the NFC Championship game, their benchmark for the past 3 seasons. Can the addition of Terrell Owens counterbalance defensive downgrades or are the Eagles finally Super Bowl bound?
What we Learned from Last Year:
After a 0-2 start, and 0 touchdown passes in the first three weeks hesitations were raised as to whether the Eagles dominance of the NFC East was over, but only 2 losses the rest of the way reassured fans that with Donovan McNabb at the helm, the Eagles are still the class of the NFC.
Early in the season McNabb was questioned as a great quarterback, but the reality is that he truly is. Rush Limbaugh claimed that D-Mac is overrated, but that assertion was imprecise.
A quarterback used to be exemplified as an accurate, strong pocket passer but with more mobile athletes like Randall Cunningham, Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb, the position has evolved. Nowadays a quarterback can be great with his arms, or with his legs. It doesn?t matter as long as they win. Where quarterbacks become ?overrated? is when versatile quarterbacks are compared to stationary throwers. McNabb does not possess Peyton Manning?s accuracy but we don?t contrast Manning?s legs to McNabb?s so it?s time to accept motorized signal callers as great quarterbacks.
One setback is that there hasn?t been a Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb, or Daunte Culpepper who has won a championship in this generation ? yet. Steve McNair came pretty close.
McNabb?s magic can be witnessed through the team?s record. The fact that the Eagle?s won 12 games without a running back who bettered 613 yards, or a receiver who topped 575 yards is impeccable. Even a once dominant defense slid all the way down to 20th while allowing a stretch of 6 out of 7 games where an opposing running back topped the 100-yard barrier. A defense that was in the apex of league sacks in 2002 with 56 slimmed that number to an average 38.
Once mentioned with the likes of the Baltimore Ravens? intimidating defense, along with Tampa Bay?s Super Bowl squad, the Eagles consistent downgrades finally showed on the defensive side of the ball. No Jeremiah Trotter in the middle and no Hugh Douglas to threaten on the line relaxed all opposing quarterbacks.
Aside from McNabb and an unnoticed offensive line, the team was very bare.
What Has Changed?:
If you?ve been blinded by the ever-present Athens Summer Olympics you may not be aware that the 3 long years of wait are over and the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, better known as the Olympics of baking, is upcoming in April 2005. Hopefully all the current hoopla has not distracted you from what is truly important, kind of like the Philadelphia Eagles off-season.
After having the bread for several seasons while taking pleasure in stale off-seasons the Philadelphia Eagles finally opened the checkbook. While the moves are toasty and tasty, don?t be distracted, the Eagles are actually a worse team than they were a year ago.
Terrell Owens finally makes the Eagles a bullying offense, there?s no question about that. Jevon Kearse will frighten the most confident of NFL quarterbacks, there are no doubts there as well.
But how much has the team been compromised?
The media bark is that Terrell Owens brings chemistry concerns, but you can throw those out the window for about a year and a half. Athletes like T.O. and Allen Iverson don?t start to whine until the record sours. If things are on the up and up, Owens will always be content.
Correll Buckhalter and Duce Staley become losses for the team, and although the passing game will upgrade, the desperate rushing attack is in dire need of assistance. Cutting ties with Duce Staley is a typical Eagles move that doesn?t make sense. Staley, virtually a perfect fit for the club, should have been re-signed and handed the bulk of the carries. The team seemed to look for excuses as to why he wasn?t meant to be their feature back, but the facts show that given a steady dose, he was the second best weapon aside from McNabb. Duce will not be loose anymore in this offense, and his superb receiving skills will be missed.
For the past few seasons slices of the defensive bread loaf have been cut off such as Hugh Douglas, and Jeremiah Trotter, but this year the only crumbs are left. While the Eagles did not hesitate to serve a hefty portion of money to Kearse, they neglected to offer cornerstones Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor sufficient contracts. The Eagles love to blitz, and particularly in a year where brilliant cornerback play will be emphasized because of the league?s focus on receiver touching, it is not a good idea to burden Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard. Good luck in man-to-man.
The linebackers have been remodeled as well as one-time Pro Bowler Jeremiah Trotter returns to his roots in Philadelphia, but it seems his value has paled a little. Nate Wayne and Dhani Jones round out a core will try to improve a squad that was embarrassed by the run last year.
The boiling point of the defense is the front four who will try to incessantly disturb the peace. Kearse can do it, and he?ll get a big healthy boost with the returns of Derrick Burgess, Paul Grasmanis, and Hollis Thomas, who played 0, 2 and 7 games last year. Would be nice for Jerome McDougle to factor.
For 3 years the City of Brotherly Love has appeared in the NFC Championship game and for three years they have attempted to get over the hump allowing vitals constituents to depart through free agency. How can a team that has come so close allow its key veterans to walk and hope to advance? The goodbyes to Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor and Duce Staley, for a team that has vast amount of room under the salary cap, will haunt in the short term.
No longer is this team a defensive juggernaut that can accept 15 points from the offense and expect to be successful. The offense can score, but the defense is weak. Enjoy another NFC East title, and another early playoff walk out.
O/U 10.5:
Considering the Dallas Cowboys? offense is paralyzed, the New York Giants offense is rebuilding, and the Washington Redskins have a questionable offensive line, it?s unlikely that any of the Eagles? faults will be uncovered until the playoffs hit. PHI meets: MIN, @DET, @CHI, CAR, @CLE, BAL, @PIT, GB, @STL, and CIN.
Fantasy Sleeper:
Owens out. McNabb out. Even Brian Westbrook will be plucked early on now that he is the feature presentation out of the backfield. With the amount of points this team will need, a last ditch effort on Todd Pinkston, Freddie Mitchell, or Chad Lewis may have some value.
To say that the Philadelphia Eagles? previous season was a full-blown spiritual odyssey like Jet Li?s newest movie ?Hero? may bend the truth, but at the very least Philly can boast about a hero of their own ? Donovan McNabb. While Li proclaims his new movie has surpassed Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon?s accomplishments in China, the Philadelphia Eagles were unable to eclipse the NFC Championship game, their benchmark for the past 3 seasons. Can the addition of Terrell Owens counterbalance defensive downgrades or are the Eagles finally Super Bowl bound?
What we Learned from Last Year:
After a 0-2 start, and 0 touchdown passes in the first three weeks hesitations were raised as to whether the Eagles dominance of the NFC East was over, but only 2 losses the rest of the way reassured fans that with Donovan McNabb at the helm, the Eagles are still the class of the NFC.
Early in the season McNabb was questioned as a great quarterback, but the reality is that he truly is. Rush Limbaugh claimed that D-Mac is overrated, but that assertion was imprecise.
A quarterback used to be exemplified as an accurate, strong pocket passer but with more mobile athletes like Randall Cunningham, Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb, the position has evolved. Nowadays a quarterback can be great with his arms, or with his legs. It doesn?t matter as long as they win. Where quarterbacks become ?overrated? is when versatile quarterbacks are compared to stationary throwers. McNabb does not possess Peyton Manning?s accuracy but we don?t contrast Manning?s legs to McNabb?s so it?s time to accept motorized signal callers as great quarterbacks.
One setback is that there hasn?t been a Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb, or Daunte Culpepper who has won a championship in this generation ? yet. Steve McNair came pretty close.
McNabb?s magic can be witnessed through the team?s record. The fact that the Eagle?s won 12 games without a running back who bettered 613 yards, or a receiver who topped 575 yards is impeccable. Even a once dominant defense slid all the way down to 20th while allowing a stretch of 6 out of 7 games where an opposing running back topped the 100-yard barrier. A defense that was in the apex of league sacks in 2002 with 56 slimmed that number to an average 38.
Once mentioned with the likes of the Baltimore Ravens? intimidating defense, along with Tampa Bay?s Super Bowl squad, the Eagles consistent downgrades finally showed on the defensive side of the ball. No Jeremiah Trotter in the middle and no Hugh Douglas to threaten on the line relaxed all opposing quarterbacks.
Aside from McNabb and an unnoticed offensive line, the team was very bare.
What Has Changed?:
If you?ve been blinded by the ever-present Athens Summer Olympics you may not be aware that the 3 long years of wait are over and the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie, better known as the Olympics of baking, is upcoming in April 2005. Hopefully all the current hoopla has not distracted you from what is truly important, kind of like the Philadelphia Eagles off-season.
After having the bread for several seasons while taking pleasure in stale off-seasons the Philadelphia Eagles finally opened the checkbook. While the moves are toasty and tasty, don?t be distracted, the Eagles are actually a worse team than they were a year ago.
Terrell Owens finally makes the Eagles a bullying offense, there?s no question about that. Jevon Kearse will frighten the most confident of NFL quarterbacks, there are no doubts there as well.
But how much has the team been compromised?
The media bark is that Terrell Owens brings chemistry concerns, but you can throw those out the window for about a year and a half. Athletes like T.O. and Allen Iverson don?t start to whine until the record sours. If things are on the up and up, Owens will always be content.
Correll Buckhalter and Duce Staley become losses for the team, and although the passing game will upgrade, the desperate rushing attack is in dire need of assistance. Cutting ties with Duce Staley is a typical Eagles move that doesn?t make sense. Staley, virtually a perfect fit for the club, should have been re-signed and handed the bulk of the carries. The team seemed to look for excuses as to why he wasn?t meant to be their feature back, but the facts show that given a steady dose, he was the second best weapon aside from McNabb. Duce will not be loose anymore in this offense, and his superb receiving skills will be missed.
For the past few seasons slices of the defensive bread loaf have been cut off such as Hugh Douglas, and Jeremiah Trotter, but this year the only crumbs are left. While the Eagles did not hesitate to serve a hefty portion of money to Kearse, they neglected to offer cornerstones Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor sufficient contracts. The Eagles love to blitz, and particularly in a year where brilliant cornerback play will be emphasized because of the league?s focus on receiver touching, it is not a good idea to burden Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard. Good luck in man-to-man.
The linebackers have been remodeled as well as one-time Pro Bowler Jeremiah Trotter returns to his roots in Philadelphia, but it seems his value has paled a little. Nate Wayne and Dhani Jones round out a core will try to improve a squad that was embarrassed by the run last year.
The boiling point of the defense is the front four who will try to incessantly disturb the peace. Kearse can do it, and he?ll get a big healthy boost with the returns of Derrick Burgess, Paul Grasmanis, and Hollis Thomas, who played 0, 2 and 7 games last year. Would be nice for Jerome McDougle to factor.
For 3 years the City of Brotherly Love has appeared in the NFC Championship game and for three years they have attempted to get over the hump allowing vitals constituents to depart through free agency. How can a team that has come so close allow its key veterans to walk and hope to advance? The goodbyes to Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor and Duce Staley, for a team that has vast amount of room under the salary cap, will haunt in the short term.
No longer is this team a defensive juggernaut that can accept 15 points from the offense and expect to be successful. The offense can score, but the defense is weak. Enjoy another NFC East title, and another early playoff walk out.
O/U 10.5:
Considering the Dallas Cowboys? offense is paralyzed, the New York Giants offense is rebuilding, and the Washington Redskins have a questionable offensive line, it?s unlikely that any of the Eagles? faults will be uncovered until the playoffs hit. PHI meets: MIN, @DET, @CHI, CAR, @CLE, BAL, @PIT, GB, @STL, and CIN.
Fantasy Sleeper:
Owens out. McNabb out. Even Brian Westbrook will be plucked early on now that he is the feature presentation out of the backfield. With the amount of points this team will need, a last ditch effort on Todd Pinkston, Freddie Mitchell, or Chad Lewis may have some value.